Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State referred to the need for stability and observation, but how can stability be brought to a situation where one country illegally occupies another? That is called picking sides. There are have been enough problems in the region caused by picking sides, between the United States and its allies and Russia and its allies. Some 250,000 people have died in Syria as a result of their taking sides. If they all fell out with each other, the place would be better off.

Likewise, we do not have a real role to play on the Golan Heights. The Minister of State referred to the need for observation. What we are observing is an ongoing illegal occupation and we will now observe the theft of natural resources and, effectively, multiple breaches of international law.

I again refer the Minister of State to the UN peacekeeper Ed Horgan who is a very proud member of the Defence Forces. He has pointed out that it would be much more sensible and worthwhile for our very excellent forces to engage in Darfur, the Congo and South Sudan.

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