Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I wish to share time with Deputies Richard Boyd Barrett and Clare Daly.

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this important debate on the decision to send Irish troops to Lebanon. Decisions of this importance should not be taken lightly because lives are at stake when we send troops overseas. In principle, I favour the decision to deploy Defence Forces personnel to Lebanon because it is a United Nations mission. Ireland must be seen to be involved in international peacekeeping.

The triple lock mechanism is a key element of our foreign policy. For this reason, statements made in the past that it will remain in place are welcome.

Lebanon has a long history of conflict and bloodshed and thousands of innocent civilians have died in the country. When we debate foreign policy and United Nations missions, we must bear in mind that lives are at stake. Irish troops deployed to Lebanon should have a clear mandate to act at all times as peacekeepers, work with local communities and take a strong independent and humanitarian line. Ireland's foreign policy has always reflected these priorities and I hope this remains the case. I am concerned about some recent comments on our foreign policy. We must not lose our independent approach to international issues and we must ensure we are not lumped in with countries which support the policies of NATO.

In recent days, international pressure has been mounting on Israel to break the deadlock in the Middle East. I strongly support the right of the Palestinians to a homeland and the proposed two state solution because co-existence is needed in the region. The Palestinians appear to have given up hope of reaching a negotiated settlement and are pressing ahead with plans for the United Nations to recognise an independent Palestinian state by September, which is the deadline President Obama has apparently set for a peace deal to be reached.

I understand Ireland, France and Sweden will become the first European states to recognise a Palestinian state in September. I will support any such move. I note two thirds of members of the United Nations will recognise a Palestinian state. If the United States uses its veto on the Security Council, the Palestinians will take their case to the General Assembly. The Palestinian issue must remain on the agenda in any debate on UN peacekeeping missions to the region.

I offer my support and sympathy to the family of Vittorio Arrigoni, an Italian human rights activist who was recently murdered in Gaza. Mr. Arrigoni, who was only 36 years old, arrived in Gaza in 2008 on board a humanitarian aid boat Israel had admitted to the coastal territory despite the blockade it has imposed. I understand he was murdered by pro al-Qaeda forces. We are on the side of humanitarian activists and peace, justice and truth.

I strongly commend the troops who have served this country overseas and shown a great commitment to the United Nations. I have the honour and privilege of having a nephew who served with the UN and my family is very proud of his role. We must pay tribute to those who lost their lives for peace. Their record in Lebanon, in particular, speaks for itself. Over the years, I have spoken to many soldiers who served in Lebanon and it is clear that the local community trusted Irish Defence Forces personnel and worked closely with them because they did not have a hidden agenda or vested interests, unlike some other countries with imperialist histories whose forces served in Lebanon. Irish troops built up good relationships with the local community in Lebanon in what was a classic example of community policing at its best. Soldiers have told me they respected and protected people on the ground, while maintaining their independence and integrity.

To return to the other issue, when dealing with the sending of troops to Lebanon, it is important we recognise the Palestinian issue must be dealt with once and for all, and there can be no more fudges and delays. We have seen much hypocrisy from the international community in regard to the Libyan conflict, particularly in regard to the no-fly zone. I often ask myself why there was no no-fly zone when Gaza was being attacked and Palestinians were being killed. This hypocrisy must be exposed. There will never be peace in the Middle East unless we deal with this issue, as all sides to the conflict realise. If we do not bring in everybody, treat them with dignity and respect the integrity of their position, there will never be peace. This is what the United Nations should always be about.

To come back to the role of the Defence Forces, I stress the urgent need for Ministers to be vigilant in regard to our independent foreign policy line. We must be careful in the Dáil. Although some have praised Deputy Shatter for sticking with the triple lock, there are elements within the Government, within broader society and within the Army that want to take a very pro-NATO line. It is up to us, as policy makers, to keep an eye on that. I remind those people that Irish soldiers with the UN did not just get respect in Lebanon and the wider Middle East, they earned it. They earned the respect of the people on the ground because of their impartiality and because of our history of not being associated with imperialism. To have had 70,000 soldiers serve in 40 countries is a great record, which should be strongly commended. We must remain vigilant and cautious with regard to the triple lock.

I commend and thank the Irish soldiers and those directly involved in the United Nations missions over many years - the 70,000 soldiers who served abroad in those 40 countries. I support the motion.

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