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

It is not that straightforward. Military flights require specific diplomatic clearance from all countries through whose airspace they fly. These clearances require due notification, are time limited and must all be in place and aligned to allow a flight to proceed. In the case of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF, additional clearances for the transit of military forces through Lebanon and Syria, and across the Syrian border, are also required. We are talking about Irish peacekeepers in Syria, one of the most complex environments on the planet in terms of a conflict zone.

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