Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I move:

That Dáil Éireann approves:

(i) the placing of the contingent of the Permanent Defence Force serving in Chad with the UN-authorised EU-led force, known as EUFOR TCHAD/RCA, under the authority of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT), established under the authority of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1861 (2009) of 14 January, 2009;

(ii) the despatch, pursuant to section 2 of the Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1960, as applied by the Defence (Amendment) Act 2006, of a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force for service with the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT), established under the authority of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1861 (2009) of 14 January, 2009; and

(iii) the continued deployment of personnel with EUFOR TCHAD/RCA during the handover period and pending the completion of the withdrawal of EUFOR TCHAD/RCA.

In commending the motion to the House, I wish to outline briefly its background and provide some brief information on the reason the Government decided to respond positively to the UN's request to Ireland to consider putting the Irish troops currently deployed in Chad under the command of the United Nations after 15 March 2009.

Members will recall that the deployment of Defence Forces personnel with the current UN-mandated EU-led force in Chad was the subject of a lengthy debate in Dáil Éireann in November 2007. The mandate for this EU-led mission will expire on 15 March 2009. The Government has decided, on foot of a new UN Security Council resolution establishing a new "Blue Hat" force in Chad and the Central African Republic, to rehat our current contingent in Chad and to seek the approval of Dáil Éireann to this end. The motion before the House was debated in the Select Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights on 18 February 2009.

Pursuant to the Government decision on 10 February 2009, authorising arrangements for the transfer of command of the Irish contingent to the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad, MINURCAT, the motion has been placed on the Order Paper for Dáil Éireann.

I will briefly outline the background to MINURCAT and the reason the Government decided to respond positively to the UN request for the "blue hatting" of the Defence Forces contingent currently serving in Chad. The current EU operation in the Republic of Chad and the Central African Republic was established under the authority of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1778 of 25 September 2007. Following Government and Dáil approval, a contingent of some 400 Defence Forces personnel was deployed with this EU force in Chad.

Following a formal request from the United Nations in October 2008, the Government approved, in principle, participation by the Defence Forces in the UN follow-on mission, MINURCAT, with a contingent similar in size and nature to its existing contribution to EUFOR. On 14 January 2009, the Security Council unanimously adopted Security Council Resolution 1861 (2009), authorising the deployment of a military component of MINURCAT to follow on from the EUFOR mission at the end of its mandate. The Security Council decided that MINURCAT shall include a maximum of 300 police officers, 25 military liaison officers, 5,200 military personnel, and an appropriate number of civilian personnel to carry out its tasks.

On 10 February 2009, the Government formally approved the placing of the Irish contingent of the Permanent Defence Force currently serving with EUFOR in Chad under the authority of MINURCAT. This approval was granted on the basis of the recently passed UN Security Council resolution, the ongoing commitment of a number of EU member states and confirmation that France plans to continue to provide the necessary logistics support to the UN Mission.

The Defence Forces currently deploy a mechanised or wheeled infantry battalion in Goz Beida, south-eastern Chad, consisting of two mechanised manoeuvre companies, a battalion support group, as well as a battalion headquarters, a national support element and a national intelligence cell, which comprises approximately 400 personnel in total. An additional 23 personnel serve in the force headquarters in Abeche and N'Djamena and 18 personnel in the operational headquarters in Paris. Ireland is the second largest contributor to the mission. The nature of the Irish battalion duties includes, inter alia, short and long-range patrolling, situational awareness and the provision of an overall security and deterrent presence within its area of operations. To date, the Defence Forces have made a key contribution to the EU's largest multinational deployment under European security and defence policy. This was a major bridging operation and invaluable experience has been gained by the Defence Forces over the past 18 months from planning through execution to the imminent handover to the UN. Major logistical and operational challenges were met in deploying to, and operating in, the heart of Africa.

The current Chad deployment has validated the effectiveness of the planning processes and procurement procedures of the defence organisation, both civil and military. Recently procured equipment such as armoured personnel carriers, APCs, weapons systems, field accommodation, etc. have been tested and have proven their value, acting as key enablers in contributing to the ongoing success of the Defence Forces' participation in this mission. Through their performance in the EU-led mission, the Defence Forces have enhanced their reputation as a professional and impartial military force as they now prepare to re-hat under a Chapter VII UN mission with MINURCAT.

If deployment to MINURCAT is approved, it is anticipated that the Defence Forces will deploy similar numbers of personnel between the camp in Goz Beida and the headquarters elements in Abeche and N'Djamena. Certain personnel will continue to serve in EUFOR during the handover to MINURCAT and the completion of the withdrawal of EUFOR. Thereafter, the EUFOR operational headquarters in Paris will be closed and the personnel withdrawn. The Finnish Parliament approved, on 26 February 2009, the ongoing participation of Finnish troops in the UN crisis management operation in Chad and the Central African Republic and plans to deploy 80 troops. The Finnish detachment will move from Abeche to the southern part of the Goz Beida operational area, to work together with the Irish battalion and replace the Netherlands armed scout platoon, which will withdraw from theatre on 15 March 2009. The proposed commitment by the Defence Forces to MINURCAT will be for an initial period of one year. Subject to the renewal of the mandate, a satisfactory review of the mission and available resources, the Minister for Defence would propose, subject to Government approval, to extend the Defence Forces participation on a year to year basis thereafter. Contingent personnel will be rotated on a four-monthly basis similar to current EUFOR deployments.

The expected contributors to the military component of MINURCAT will include Albania, Austria, Croatia, Finland, France, Ghana, Ireland, Italy, Nepal, Norway, Poland, Russia, Togo and Uruguay. The UN has appointed an Irish officer, Brigadier General Gerald Aherne, as deputy force commander and he was deployed to theatre earlier this week. Ireland also has secured the post of chief operations officer.

The EUFOR TCHAD-RCA mission has progressed most satisfactorily. Despite the challenges that have faced the mission, a solid foundation has been laid, which will help prepare the way to build future successes. In recent updates, EUFOR's operation commander, Lieutenant General Pat Nash, has stated that the EUFOR mission is having a positive effect in creating a safe and secure environment for refugees, for displaced persons and for the wider population. That said, the main threat to the local populations, which is being countered by the Defence Forces, arises from criminality, banditry and lawlessness. There has been a noticeable decline in incidents of banditry in the Irish-led multinational battalion south's area of operations during January 2009 compared to December 2008. A significant redeployment of Chadian forces in the general area has added to the security in the area, and assisted the reduction of banditry against the local population. The three international and non-governmental organisations that withdrew from the area during October 2008, Medecins Sans Frontières, Action Against Hunger and the International Committee of the Red Cross, have returned their permanent presence to the area during the last week of January 2009.

MINURCAT is expected to have a wider deployment than EUFOR in eastern Chad. When the UN force is fully deployed and is able to provide the intended level of security, it is expected that the security situation at local level will improve, particularly from the criminality and banditry perspective. The UN follow-on force will act under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which means that the force is authorised to take all necessary measures within its capabilities and its area of operations in eastern Chad to fulfil its mandate.

Ireland currently pays all its own costs arising from its participation in EUFOR TCHAD-RCA, together with a contribution to the common costs of the mission. As the proposed follow-on force will be a UN-led operation, the UN will meet some of the costs of Ireland's participation in the mission. It is estimated that UN reimbursement to the Exchequer will be in the region of approximately €8.5 million per annum, while the related cost to the Defence Vote amounts to approximately €16.2 million. The expected reimbursement in 2009 will be €3.7 million.

If the Leas-Cheann Comhairle bears with me, I have almost concluded. To summarise, therefore, the humanitarian and security situation in eastern Chad clearly will continue to warrant an international presence beyond March 2009. The commitment of troops currently deployed to EUFOR to the UN follow-on force is critical to avoid a security vacuum and ensure that civilians and UN personnel at risk continue to be protected. MINURCAT is crucial to the overall effort to bring stability and hope to the region. Having made a significant investment in providing safety, security and reassurance to the local population under the EU-led mission, and given Ireland's strong support for the UN, we have an obligation to ensure the success of the UN's efforts. A positive response to the UN request would be consistent with Ireland's commitment to UN peacekeeping, particularly in Africa.

Before I commend the motion to the House, I would like to express my appreciation, and that of the Government, for the work of Lieutenant General Pat Nash as operation commander. Together with his staff, he has been unstinting in his efforts to ensure the success of the mission since his appointment. The post of operation commander is a highly prestigious position within the overall mission and this was the first time that Ireland or any other smaller member state within the European Union has been offered such a senior role within an EU-led peace support operation. It is a recognition of the standing of the Defends Forces in the field of peace support operations generally. Lieutenant General Nash's role is to manage the overall military operation and to provide the military interface between the operation, MINURCAT, the EU and the UN. All Members will agree that he has undertaken this role with distinction since his appointment in October 2007. I wish Lieutenant General Nash every success in his retirement in the coming months and I commend the motion to the House.

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