Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

On the one hand, I feel a great sense of pride at the nobility of the actions of the State in sending troops into an area that needs protection but, on the other, those of us who know a little about the area feel a great sense of apprehension regarding the safety and security of our troops. I should declare an interest, as a member of my family has lived on the other side of the Chad border with personnel from Concern and the UN agency based in Al Fashir, western Darfur. I receive e-mails regularly regarding the situation there, which causes me to believe our troops are being sent into bandit country and the government, particularly in Sudan, is utterly sinister, corrupt and unreliable. It is one of the worst governments in the world, as it arms various militia and breakaway groups, which has created an insecure environment.

I have the greatest respect for the Minister who has examined this proposal in detail but he referred to the report of the chief of staff in his contribution who described the mission as a "medium risk". What is a "medium risk"? Like Deputy Deenihan, I would like an absolute assurance that risks will be minimised. The logistics are outrageously difficult with problems relating to air strips, helipads and other equipment. While soldiers are trained to look after themselves and I have the greatest respect for their training, I would like to ensure this "medium risk" will be minimised and reduced. The troops are capable of doing a very good in Chad but let us ensure they do it in conditions of the greatest security and safety. If our troops are sent, I wish them the best of luck. I will be proud of their work.

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