Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have nine different overseas missions currently.

If Defence Forces management tells me it is unable to fulfil any of the commitments, I will listen and take it very much into account. Any overseas mission in which we partake is with the imprimatur and agreement of military management. The Chief of Staff has responsibility to make sure we have the capability and capacity to fulfil our roles overseas. It is up to the Chief of Staff to advise me if there is a situation where the Defence Forces are unable to fulfil that commitment. The commitments we made at the recent UN peacekeeping conference in New York were with the agreement of the military and the Chief of Staff. He was there with me. Any commitments I made were on behalf of the organisation. We had the full support of military management in making any pledges of support.

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