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

We are very proud of the role the Defence Forces have played across the world under the United Nations and owe them a debt of gratitude. The problem with the UNDOF mission is that we had a debacle in the UN Security Council in issuing a response to the Syrian conflict. Moreover, the European Union's decision to remove the arms embargo on Syria created a serious difficulty. For this reason, Sinn Féin opposed the decision to deploy Irish troops to the region in the first instance. Unfortunately, it has since transpired that they have been exposed to the civil war in Syria. A number of the countries contributing forces to the mission are part of a European Union structure that has not been neutral in the Syrian conflict. One also has the unravelling scenario in respect of Islamic State. The situation is a mess. Will the Minister ensure our soldiers are not placed in harm's way unnecessarily in a mission that has become highly complex?

See this speech in context