Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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8. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence when a decision will be taken on whether to deploy the Army Ranger Wing to the MINUSMA mission in Mali. [16806/19]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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In January, the Minister of State told me, in response to a parliamentary question, that the option of deploying a group of Army Rangers was being considered but that it would take some time before a conclusion would be reached. The Army Ranger unit is not trained and organised for peacekeeping and as far as I am concerned, the idea of sending them to Mali is mad. We hear a lot from the Government about international crisis management, peace support and so on, which I regard is doublespeak. Has a decision been made on this and when is it likely to be implemented?

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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 The Army Ranger Wing, ARW, is the special operations force of the Defence Forces and is part of the capabilities available to the State to be deployed in support of our national security and overseas peace support operations. 

MINUSMA, the UN mission in Mali, is authorised under Chapter VII of the UN Charter by the UN Security Council. It is a significant UN peace enforcement mission comprising both regular and special operations forces and high-end capabilities. 

Ireland currently has 20 Defence Forces personnel deployed to the EU training mission in Mali. Potential overseas missions are considered by the Department and the Defence Forces on an ongoing basis having regard to available resources and international peacekeeping requirements.

The question of deploying Defence Forces personnel to support the UN mission in Mali - MINUSMA - has been under consideration for some time, as the Deputy said. Recently, the option of deploying a small contingent of Army Ranger Wing personnel to MINUSMA as part of a larger special operations force within the mission, arose and it is under active consideration. The Department and the Defence Forces are in the early information gathering stage in considering this mission. It involves obtaining detailed information on the mission and its operations, consideration of the possible role the Defence Forces may be able to undertake on the mission, how such a deployment would fit with Defence Forces capabilities having regard to existing and potential commitments at home and overseas and a detailed threat analysis and assessment of the area. This process is ongoing. On foot of the respective military and policy advice arising from this process, I will consider the matter.  I emphasise that no decision has been made as of now to participate in the mission.

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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It is my clear understanding this mission operates under Article 7 of the UN Charter and that it is an entirely different type of operation.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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My apologies. I am sorry, it is Article 7.

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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Exactly. It is a big mistake because it is to maintain the peace through the use of force. It is qualitatively different from other missions in which Irish peacekeepers have participated such as UNIFIL and UNDOF which operate under Article 6. The Army Rangers Wing is an elite special forces unit that is not trained to participate in peacekeeping missions. When one adds the two together, it is a significant departure from what we normally do. The response the Minister of State has given is identical to the one he gave me in January. It is now April and we are none the wiser. The idea of a small neutral state such as Ireland having its army rangers wing involved in this mission is absolutely abhorrent and smacks of an effort to curry favour with the French and, possibly, the government in Mali in a bid to get on the UN Security Council. It is incredibly dangerous and we should have nothing to do with it.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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My apologies, it is Article 7, not Article 6. I was not trying to trick the Deputy in any way. It is a reply similar to the one I gave the Deputy in January because we have not yet made a decision. We are gathering information. I am not sure whether I stated to the Deputy that on my most recent visit to Mali in January, I met the head of mission of MINUSMA, by whom I was fully briefed. I want to be satisfied on what is involved in the mission and that we have the capacity and the capability to participate in it if we make a decision to do so. As I stated, we have not yet decided. I would be telling the Deputy a lie if I was not upfront in saying it is an mission we are considering.

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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What is happening in Mali and other former French colonies is that France is supporting a series of compliant but deeply undemocratic regimes in Africa. It means that they are in a consistent state of exploitation for the benefit of France. The idea that anybody in the Defence Forces should be part of it is unbelievable. We are peacekeepers, not mercenaries for hire by former colonies, which is what the Minister of State seems to thinks. As he said in speaking about his visit, it is an incredibly dangerous place. We also have to think about the safety of our personnel. The situation in Mali is complex. Obviously, as I said, France has its objectives in the middle of it. Why on earth would we send Army rangers into the middle of it? Why should we participate in an Article 7 mission? As I said, we are peacekeepers. If we keep going down this line in a vain attempt to give the government international prestige it does not have, not only will we jeopardise the safety of Defence Forces personnel but we will also undermine our international credibility as peacekeepers.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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First, no decision has been made to deploy the Army Rangers Wing to MINUSMA. Any such decision will be based on an assessment of the requirements of the mission and, as I stated, the capacity and capability of the Defence Forces to contribute to it. The possible deployment of Defence Forces personnel has been under consideration for some time and is unconnected to the Seco campaign. It is totally separate from us trying to secure a seat on the UN Security Council. Consideration is being given to the deployment of a small contingent of Army Rangers Wing personnel to the mission. It must be stressed, however, that it is at a very early stage and further detailed analysis and planning will be required. My primary concern before we make a final decision is the safety of our personnel which is of paramount importaqnce to me, the Department and military management. I will take advice from military management if we are to participate in the mission. The last time the Army Rangers Wing was deployed on an overseas mission was in the early 2000s in Chad. It is a well trained unit within the Defence Forces that has the capacity to participate in such a mission, but, as I said, no decision has yet been taken. I will, of course, keep the House informed and updated if we are to participate in the mission.