Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)

The US Vice President has been in Israel and has been talking about this peace plan albeit 153 tonnes of bombs were dropped by Israel on Gaza yesterday. The US Vice President spoke about a stabilisation force and a peace force. We have a proud tradition in that region of peacekeeping. However, given what we are debating in the coming weeks and months in terms of the triple lock and the future of our peacekeeping - I am conscious that we are very early - have there been discussions in relation to peacekeeping? I have huge concerns regarding how this is fermenting, at a structural level being led by the US. It is important that we ask the question here because we have two really proud pillars of Irish foreign policy, namely, development aid and peacekeeping, both of which will be at play here. Will the Tánaiste make a comment on peacekeeping?

See this speech in context