Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is absolutely necessary that we do whatever can be done to ensure there is not a regional escalation. If we could have a ceasefire in Gaza, it would obviously facilitate this to a significant degree. We must be absolutely vigilant for changed sets of circumstances. I get the tension. I stress, as have many others, that we are talking about our Defence Forces. Our personnel are very highly trained and have a great level of professionalism and, at times, necessary courage. However, we need to ensure this vigilance is maintained and operating procedures and protocols are as best as they can be so we ensure we do not miss anything. In fairness, the mandate of the UNIFIL operation changed in August 2022. There was some unease with some of the players in Lebanon at that point. While there is talk of maintaining independence for UNIFIL operations, there is also, as a Tánaiste said, a huge amount of emphasis on dealing with all stakeholders on either side of the Blue Line. All of this is necessary.

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