Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the vast bulk of what the Minister of State has said. Of course our personnel are well trained. Of course they are suitable to undertake the tasks they will face in Lebanon. Of course the equipment supplied to them is more than adequate for the challenges they will meet. However, the Minister of State did not really respond to the specific issue I raised. He reiterated the point made by the Army Press Office during the week when it completely denied that there is any difficulty with the use of steel-capped boots by the soldiers who have travelled to Lebanon. According to the information I have received, the military authorities erroneously ordered 600 pairs of steel-capped boots instead of desert boots. This has since been denied by the military press office. I have been informed that the normal desert boots were issued to 238 personnel, but that sufficient numbers of such boots were not in stock to meet the needs of all 320 personnel travelling to Lebanon. I have been told that the desert boots have now been withdrawn from those to whom they had been issued and that steel-capped boots have been issued to all personnel. That has given rise to practical difficulties for the soldiers who are representing this State in Lebanon. Unfortunately, it is leading to a certain level of derision for them as they operate alongside people of other nationalities. While I hope the information I have been given is entirely wrong, I doubt that it is. I ask the Minister of State to investigate the matter.

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