Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I will answer the specific points raised by Deputy Deenihan in the first instance. I assure the Deputy that although Lieutenant General Nash's formal retirement date is in May, he is to be appointed for the duration of Ireland's participation in the mission. The initial deployment is for a year but it may be extended. That will be a decision for Government when we come to the end of that year.

On the issue of tents and the conditions, I was in Liberia twice and I assure the Deputy it was pretty warm outside the tent, whatever about inside the tent. We have learned certain lessons. There is also provision for bottled water to back up the water supply and we are working on that issue.

In response to the comments of Deputy Barry Andrews, it will be devastating for the credibility of the EU if we cannot put the mission together. A couple of months ago at a defence ministers' meeting in Brussels we agreed to put in place a system whereby up to 90,000 troops can be deployed by the EU at three months notice with sufficient back-up. If, after three or four months, we cannot deploy 4,000 troops with sufficient back-up, I cannot see how we will be in a position to deploy 90,000 troops in two years. It will have a devastating effect on the credibility of the EU if we cannot quickly put the mission together.

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