Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 5: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Defence Force participation in peacekeeping in Chad will continue in the event that EU forces are replaced by a UN mission in March 2009; his views on the UN replacing the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34247/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The European Union operation in Chad and the Central African Republic, EUFOR Tchad/RCA, was established for a period of one year from March 2008. It is playing a key role in ensuring the security of refugees and displaced persons living in camps along the eastern border of Chad, and in facilitating the provision of humanitarian relief, as well as in protecting the UN policing mission in the area. I pay tribute to the success of EUFOR and to the professionalism of the members of the Irish Defence Forces participating in the mission. In my recent meeting at the United Nations with Lynn Pascoe, the Under Secretary General for Political Affairs, he spoke very warmly of the positive contribution they are making.

Despite the success of EUFOR, it is clear that an international presence will continue to be required in the region for some time. In this context, I welcome the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1834 which expresses the intention of authorising a UN military mission to follow on from EUFOR after 15 March 2009, when its current mandate expires.

It is expected the UN will, in due course, issue a formal request to Ireland to provide a contingent for this operation, and I would view such a request favourably in principle. However, a decision to participate will need to await the outcome of ongoing discussions on the size, composition and mandate of the follow-on operation. Account will also be taken of the intentions of other current EUFOR participants and the support they would provide. It is worth noting in this regard that logistical support from non-EU partners, including Ukraine and Russia which are both providing helicopters, has been vital for EUFOR. This underlines the issues the EU has regarding the military capabilities available to it for important missions of this kind.

Irish participation in a UN follow-on operation will, of course, be subject to the triple lock of UN mandate and Government and Dáil approval. My colleague, the Minister for Defence, has indicated he would be positively disposed to participation by the Defence Forces in the follow-on mission subject to the above issues being addressed.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister. Will he clarify that the Security Council resolution has been formally adopted so that there is no likelihood of a security vacuum when the troops withdraw from Chad, which is enormously important? I understand that Ban Ki-moon has expressed the intention to increase the personnel deployed when the EUFOR mission is taken over, essentially, by the UN, from the current figure of approximately 3,300 to around 6,000 at that stage, at some point in 2009. When will the Minister consider — I hope, favourably — the application of the UN for Irish troops to remain as part of its mission? Does he envisage a scenario whereby there will be potential to increase the number of troops deployed from Ireland as part of that ongoing mission?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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We abhor and are very determined to avoid a vacuum or any uncertainty arising. We shall be pressing very hard for clear decisions, not just a resolution but actually a clear pathway for the UN force coming in on the button, so to speak, so there is a seamless transition from EUFOR. However, there are issues to be considered and obviously the Minister for Defence will take the lead in terms of requirements of our Army. The Deputy has alluded to the size, composition, balance of forces, logistical support and so forth and these are questions we obviously want ironed out before finally agreeing to participate in the force. However, we have put a good deal of investment into our existing presence there and our desire is to continue it. Obviously, there are always issues in situations such as this that need to be teased out with the UN.

On the Deputy's second question, our presence is quite substantial in Chad, with more than 450 troops. It is the largest of any presence we have globally at present. That in itself is significant and if we can maintain this level of operation we shall be doing very well because this is a very challenging mission.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Further to that, the Minister has mentioned some of the logistical issues and the support that has been forthcoming from Russia, Ukraine and so on, which is badly needed. I echo and support his viewpoint as regards the need for greater capabilities within the European Union. On a related issue, our troops will undoubtedly be there until March and possibly beyond that date. I understand from media reports that one agency withdrew from that region in Chad just within the last few days. Is the Minister aware of that? Perhaps he will comment.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The security situation in eastern Chad is relatively peaceful. However, the rainy season will end in the coming weeks and that could bring about increased rebel activity, banditry and criminality, which has implications for safety and security and the overall secure environment EUFOR is seeking to develop. Operational Commander Nash is confident EUFOR is in a position of strength to continue to ensure a safe and secure environment in which humanitarian actors can operate effectively.

Two Médecins Sans Frontiéres health facilities in Adé and Goz Beïda in eastern Chad were robbed by armed personnel last weekend and, as a consequence, the NGO withdrew from the area. The attacks involved roaming bandits and criminals rather than organised rebel activity. EUFOR is clearly mandated to protect refugees and internally displaced persons to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and to protect UN personnel. Activity by rebel forces as well as criminality and banditry are matters for the Chadian authorities as well as MINURCAT.

We regret what happened but the Irish battalion did not receive a request from Médecins Sans Frontiéres for assistance over the past two months. Irish personnel will continue their operations but will co-operate with and support the NGOs throughout the Defence Forces deployment with EUFOR. Assistance has been provided to NGOs in the past, including the evacuation of NGO personnel to the Irish battalion's camp and so forth at Goz Beïda but many NGOs face ongoing challenges. Our people intervene where they can on request but Médecins Sans Frontiéres did not make such a request. The organisation, however, is vulnerable to attack from criminal elements.