Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The proposed deployment of a Defence Forces contingent to the UN-mandated EU operation in the Republic of Chad and the Central African Republic will be the most expensive operation on which the Defence Forces have ever been deployed.

As the House will be aware, Chad is landlocked and nearly 2,000 km from the nearest port facility. There are few, if any, roads and little infrastructure over which to transport personnel or equipment. It is, therefore, essential that the contingent be completely self-contained and capable of undertaking its operations without depending on the availability of immediate re-supply or reinforcement. Owing to the remote location of the mission's area of operations, deployment and re-supply of the contingent will be mainly by air and therefore expensive.

It is estimated that the cost to the Department of Defence Vote arising from the Defence Forces' participation in this mission for 12 months will amount to approximately €57 million, including Ireland's €1.3 million contribution to common costs. Provision to meet the additional costs of the operation has been made in the Department of Defence Estimate for 2008. Preliminary estimates indicate that the cost of transportation of Defence Forces personnel and equipment to the mission area, including re-supply and rotation flights, will be in the region of €20 million.

I appreciate that participating in this mission will present many challenges for the men and women of the Defence Forces but the Government is committed to ensuring that all of the necessary resources are provided. While the expenses associated with the mission are substantial, the mission will be undertaking a vital task in providing basic security for over 400,000 refugees, many of whom are fleeing the crisis in Darfur.

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