Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The factors taken into account when considering participation in a mission include whether a peacekeeping operation is the most appropriate response, how the mission relates the priorities of Irish foreign policy, the degree of risk involved, the extent to which the required skills and characteristics relate to Irish capabilities, the existence of realistic objectives and a clear mandate, with the potential to contribute to a political solution, and whether the operation is adequately resourced, in the context of the level of existing commitments to peacekeeping operations and security requirements at home. I will respond to the other questions asked by Deputy Deenihan. The scaling down of the operations in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina will save €7 million in 2010 and €13 million in a full year. We will not adopt the McCarthy report's recommendation that Irish troops should be withdrawn from Chad. I understand that if we decided now to withdraw from Chad, the UN would be liable for the cost. It would not cost us anything. Our involvement in Chad costs us €16 million, in gross terms, per annum. Our rebate from the UN is over €8 million, which means that our net cost is almost €8 million per annum. The amount received from the UN in the period in question was approximately €3 million.

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