Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

The mandate for UNIFIL remains unchanged in the context of the particular issues that gave rise to it. This is a very volatile region of the world. I do not think anyone can predict with certainty how matters may develop in the coming months, never mind the coming years. Currently, there some refugees from Syria in Lebanon, and there are some reports of disturbances close to the Syria-Lebanon border, but so far, fortunately, the events in Syria have not spilled over into Lebanon to any dramatic degree. The hope is that this will not occur. The politics of Lebanon, including the connections between, for example, Hizbollah and the Syrian regime and the divisions that exist, unfortunately, along sectarian lines within the Lebanese Government mean that this is a particularly complicated area.

I had the privilege of meeting a number of members of the Lebanese Government when I visited our troops in October last. I spoke to the President and the Prime Minister as well as other members of the Government, all of whom come from different communities and political backgrounds, and they were very appreciative of the work done by our troops there. Our engagement with UNIFIL is seen as a positive contribution to the area. Our troops continue to engage with the local community in a supportive way, including by providing funding and local supports for community matters. It is my hope that the troops who have now gone out there will have a safe mission. I had the privilege of seeing them off at McKee Barracks, and I hope to have the opportunity to visit in early autumn. At that stage I will have another opportunity to meet my counterparts in Lebanon, the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Justice. The hope is that the area remains quiet and the events that are occurring so close to it do not give rise to any difficulties.

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