Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 33: To ask the Minister for Defence his views on whether a Defence Forces mission at battalion level should occur within 18 months; further failure to provide for such could damage the Defences in view of agreement (details supplied) that is lifeblood organisation; international contacts he has made, or had made behalf, bodies ensure participation mission; and if will make statement matter. [29967/10]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 58 and 62 together.

Ireland has offered, through the UN stand-by arrangements system, UNSAS, to provide up to 850 military personnel for overseas service at any one time. With regard to future deployments, Ireland receives requests, from time to time, in regard to participation in various missions, and these are considered on a case-by-case basis. When considering any particular request, the existence of realistic objectives and a clear mandate which has the potential to contribute to a political solution, consideration of how the mission relates to the priorities of Irish foreign policy, and the degree of risk involved are the key parameters within which we judge an application at UN level. I have already gone through some of the other aspects and I do not propose to repeat them.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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We have covered this already, so I will not spend too much time on it. How long would it take for the Defence Forces to have a group ready if a request is made in the coming months for participation in an overseas mission given that equipment needs to be brought up to speed and so on? Will the Minister comment on other developments in respect of the Nordic battle group and other groups in which the Defence Forces are involved and on their readiness for participation in any of those groups?

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The second question is somewhat specialised. Irish troops will participate in the Nordic battle group later this year when they go out to a location in Sweden in September. In regard to the lead-in period one would envisage, one of the surprising elements if one looks back historically at Ireland's involvement in UN missions is that on virtually no occasion, when a mission ended, could one have foreseen the next mission. Nobody would have realistically predicted that Chad, Liberia or Eritrea would be Ireland's next engagement, although Lebanon was somewhat predictable. Much attention is directed towards UNIFIL, partly because of our particularly positive engagement in Lebanon historically and partly because of the ongoing need there. However, at this point, we have not been formally invited to participate in a particular mission and we have some work to do before we are ready to engage in any such mission.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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The Minister mentioned the Chad mission and the fact that the forces had to be withdrawn prematurely when the Government was committed to keeping them there. The Irish troops were certainly carrying out a very valuable and much needed role in that country. Is there any indication as to conditions there since the withdrawal of the Irish forces? Has the situation improved, deteriorated or whatever? Is there a mechanism whereby we could find ourselves providing troops there again? Obviously the triple lock process must be invoked, but it seems to me to be an uncompleted mission and that the need for involvement by Irish troops remains. Is the Minister favourably disposed towards sending troops back there if the situation were to develop in that fashion?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The first part of the Deputy's query is well beyond the scope of these questions.

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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It is a massive logistical undertaking to take out all the troops and equipment and then to have to send them back again. When one considers the type of over-land route that must be traversed in the case of Chad, with virtually no roads whatever, it is a huge undertaking. It would be difficult to be enthusiastic about engaging in it, but if the need arose and the UN were to make a request, we would have to consider it according to the same criteria as any other proposal that might be made. It is important to bear in mind that troops from other African countries which are gradually building capacity in this area are generally better received. It is to be welcomed that the emerging African nations are in a position to provide troops in some of these situations; they certainly have some advantages of deployment.

The bottom line is that if the UN tells us we are needed in a particular place, we will examine the proposal fairly regardless of previous history. We would still be in Chad were it not for the logistical difficulties that presented because the mandate could not be guaranteed. I would personally be extremely unhappy with having Irish troops there under the current mandate.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Is it policy to have a battalion equipped, ready and trained to serve overseas should a request be made? As the Minister indicated, such requests may come unexpectedly.

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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We have an opportunity at the moment to prepare seriously for the deployment of a battalion in some entirely new location. It is difficult to do that when there are troops on various overseas missions, as was the case during the period of the Chad deployment. We now have an opportunity to do something we have not been able to do for some time. In general terms, the turnover in Chad was on a four-month basis, although in other locations it is more likely to be six months. There is a preparedness for that at all times and we would like to be exactly in the position Deputy Stanton outlines in regard to our commitment of 850 troops.