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

The Deputy should let me specifically answer the issues he and others have raised. They cannot on the one hand praise the Irish Defence Forces for their peacekeeping work and at the same time prevent them from training with other countries across Europe on projects they choose to be involved in, to upgrade their capacity to be better peacekeepers, better soldiers and better Defence Forces personnel. The four projects I am asking this House to support are projects the Defence Forces have chosen.

The Defence Forces came to me to recommend that they have been an observer on these projects to date and that they think there would be a significant benefit with regard to capacity, training and upskilling, were we to move to full participation. That is what we are debating, not neutrality. I agree with the Deputy that we need to debate the broader issues. I am happy to have that debate.

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