Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To reassure people, this is a mission that is working really well. The kind of questions Deputy Crowe is asking have been asked by many other countries before they would have participated in Operation ATALANTA. There is an efficient system working successfully to patrol off that part of Africa. The decision we must make is whether it is appropriate for Ireland to contribute to those positive efforts and fit in with that EU-led mission, whether we can afford to do it and whether we should do it.

The direct answer to Deputy Crowe's question is that we are looking seriously at this. I will have a full cost estimate within the next couple of weeks and then we will make a decision on the back of that. I stress there are many things I would like to do abroad in terms of a positive contribution the Defence Forces could make in different parts of the world around conflict resolution and peacekeeping work.

We must prioritise because we have limited resources. What I am assessing at the moment is whether we can afford to do this and whether we should do it in terms of contributing to a very successful mission that is already under way. One way or the other, by the time we have the next Question Time on defence, I will probably be able to say whether this is a real likelihood.

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