Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

It is extremely regrettable that Ireland is being criticised for the first time by the United Nations in regard to a peacekeeping mission but, as Mary Fitzgerald highlighted in The Irish Times, this is the result of the Government's unilateral decision to end our participation in MINURCAT. Over the decades, Ireland has earned a positive reputation for its work in peacekeeping activities, from Congo to Lebanon and elsewhere. This week, in one ill-thought out move, the Government has undermined that reputation, the entire MINURCAT mission, the security of the refugee camps and the negotiations between the UN and the President of Chad, Idriss Déby.

I accept the practical issues that arise if MINURCAT ends in May, including in particular the need to withdraw the Defence Forces before the onset of the rainy season. The issue is not whether MINURCAT is needed in Chad. The UN humanitarian chief, John Holmes, has stated that he fears the consequences if the force is withdrawn. Human Rights Watch has also expressed fears of what might happen in the event of a withdrawal. The issue is whether the mission can remain. The President of Chad president wants the mission to end but human rights and refugee organisations want it to continue.

It was an ill-timed move on the part of the Government to announce during the negotiations that we were withdrawing. As the second largest component in the mission, we are a key force within MlNURCAT. Announcing our intention to withdraw risked leaving Déby with the impression that the outcome of the negotiations was already decided. In her article, Mary Fitzgerald pointed out that the move could have a negative impact on continuing talks with Chadian authorities over the future of the force. We should not be creating this impression. I cannot stress enough my admiration for the work of our forces in MINURCAT. They have been crucial to the success of the mission, which was one of the most dangerous ever undertaken. For the Government to end the mission in such a way is unacceptable and unforgivable.

I urge the Government to make immediate contact with the under-secretary general of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Alain Le Roy, to assess how we can help the UN in its negotiations and undo the damage done by the Government's decision. The feedback I am getting clearly indicates that work remains to be done in Chad. The Government must be mindful of the fate of the refugees left behind after a mass withdrawal of troops. Multinational missions are all about teamwork. It is wrong to undermine unilaterally a team in the way this Government has undermined MINURCAT. I regret deeply the untold damage that has been done to that mission. We owe it to our soldiers, to MINURCAT and, most of all, to the people our soldiers protect in Chad, to undo the mistake and work with the UN rather than undermine it while negotiations continue on whether to extend the mission.

I ask for clarification on the Government's current position on the matter. Yesterday, the Minister for Defence relayed what was obviously a Cabinet decision but I would have been more critical of his announcement had I known then that UN officials were in negotiations with the Chadian Government on continuing the mandate. I urge the Minister and the Taoiseach to review this decision in light of the possible extension of MINURCAT's mandate. If the Irish camp is dismantled and the equipment withdrawn, the mission may be unable to continue. This matter needs to be taken seriously and the Government must act immediately.

See this speech in context