Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

They have made a major contribution in bringing their expertise and professionalism to Members of the House like me who have not had the privilege of wearing the uniform on behalf of the country, even though that would have been our desire.

This force which will be made up of approximately 400 Irish members will equate to approximately 12% of the entire force on this small island. It is critical that we continually serve international peace and give an opportunity to members of the Defence Forces to serve the country across the world, taking into account the exigencies, risks and challenges to be faced and the criteria to be met in what in most cases are dangerous missions. They have carried their responsibilities with great distinction, regardless of their location or the challenges facing them. Anybody who has had an opportunity to visit different parts of the world where members of the Defence Forces have served with such distinction will know at first hand from citizens of those countries of the even-handed, humane and dignified way they have conducted themselves, the integrity they have brought to their job and the respect they have earned, both from those who were part of a conflict and ordinary citizens who wanted to live in peace.

In my former position as Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs I had the opportunity to discuss the situation in Chad, Sudan and the surrounding area on a number of occasions in the past three years at various European meetings. There has been a constant demand that the elected politicians of Europe give leadership and make a positive contribution to bring stability, human rights, dignity, protection and opportunity to these unfortunate peoples. It is tragic that so many displaced people, particularly women and children, have found themselves in this desperate situation. It is important that the House give full and unequivocal support to the motion in order that we can be seen as a nation to make a key decision in 2007, again enhancing our reputation as a country that makes such a major contribution to the achievement of peace across the world.

Alongside this, we have our contribution to overseas aid. The overseas development unit of the Department of Foreign Affairs has done great work. I salute the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Kitt, on the work he is continuing, carrying on from his predecessors, in a very important area.

I am delighted that a large part of the composition of the force will come from the Western Command. I am proud to come from a Gaeltacht county. While the Western Command headquarters is based in Athlone, the only Gaeltacht operation and Irish language-speaking unit in the force is based at Dún Uí Mhaoilíosa in Renmore in the suburbs of Galway city. It is named after Liam Mellowes, one of our great patriots. I salute all those involved in Dún Uí Mhaoilíosa, as well as in Custume Barracks in Athlone and the different parts of the Western Command functional area for their contribution during the years, with their colleagues in all other command areas.

This experience which is critical for us as a nation is vital for the development of the Army. We have some of the best and brightest in the Defence Forces. In one of my former offices, as Minister of State with responsibility for science and technology, when we did our utmost to drive the science agenda and ensure we would build an economy that would embrace opportunities for our brightest and best, we looked at the resources of State in Departments and agencies. Among the best supporters we had were the members of the Defence Forces. At many science weeks and science exhibitions we were able to have outstanding large displays of both——

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