Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Deenihan for his best wishes. I had the opportunity to visit Lieutenant General Dermot Earley on two occasions and I agree with what the Deputy said.

On the press reports that the Irish decision might have undermined delicate negotiations, I have been unable to find any reliable source at UN level to indicate that. Long before my appointment, my predecessor and the officials explained very clearly to the United Nations the difficulties that would arise in regard to the mandate expiring in the middle of May and the fact the rainy season was imminent and that there was a considerable amount of Irish equipment there which needed to be taken out. The best estimates were that, at an absolute minimum, eight weeks would be required to withdraw the troops and equipment. People may not understand that when the rainy season starts, there are de facto no roads in Chad. Whatever limited travel is possible is by helicopter or aeroplane. That is a very grave difficulty. We obviously had concerns in regard to the UN mandate because we could not be there without it. We had concerns about the safety of troops and about the equipment, which Deputy Deenihan mentioned, that could not be taken out if that were to arise.

The day after my appointment, I spoke to the under secretary on the telephone and explained to him all these difficulties. To be fair, this matter had already been explained in some detail by my predecessor and by defence officials. He understood that was the position and he did not indicate the decision would create any of the difficulties mentioned in the press reports. Unfortunately, not only was he unable to give a guarantee that there would be a renewed mandate, which would have been an unreasonable request of him, but he was unable to give me a strong indication that there was confidence that there would be a renewed mandate. I telephoned him again a number of days later before the Government meeting. The situation had not changed and it was not expected to change.

Current indications are that if there is a renewed mandate, there is a question about the numbers mandated and the kind of mandate that may arise or whether there will be a mandate. That was always the situation as can be seen from that which arose last January and, more particularly, from the limited nature of the renewal that arose in March.

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