Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

I am pleased to hear the Minister agree with my point of view and I urge him to bring forward formally the proposal that we should discuss the possibility of an EU peacekeeping force there. I would hope that Ireland would offer to participate in that. We have a huge amount to offer, given our experience in Northern Ireland, our proud record in peacekeeping and people like John Ging who is a former Army officer. It is important to remember the respect in which the Irish Defence Forces are held in terms of peacekeeping, which is second to none. Our peacekeeping forces are trusted. We have a huge contribution to make. We may be a small country, but when it comes to operations related to peacekeeping, we are first class. The greatest compliment I can pay the Irish Defence Forces relates to when I was Minister and had a visit from the then US military attaché. He came to see me to see if it would be in order for him to apply to his superiors in the US for permission for senior officers of the US defence forces to come and learn about peacekeeping in our peacekeeping college in Kildare. That recognised Ireland as a country that could teach people about peacekeeping. It is worthwhile pursuing this issue and I would like the Minister of State's assurance that will be done.

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