Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Eight members of our Defence Forces were deployed to Mali without any debate in this House because the number was below the threshold of 12 troops. The Minister will know the concerns that were expressed about that, given the track record of the Malian Government, its army and the human rights issues there. Today, we had 60 minutes to discuss the deployment of 150 Irish troops to the Golan Heights and the very significant concerns about their safety, considering that the Austrian Government withdrew its troops from the same region due to safety concerns after the removal of sanctions on weapons being provided to Syrian rebels.

We should be involved in peacekeeping, in which we have a proud legacy. We are proud of our troops in Lebanon and elsewhere, but they must be in blue helmet operations. There must be more debate and discussion. In my supplementary question I will return to some suggestions I have about the triple lock.

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