Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I speak on this motion, first because I want to wish our troops well. As the nearest thing to a pacifist in this House, I believe our Army does a superb job abroad. I have had the opportunity, as part of various Oireachtas delegations, to meet the troops serving abroad. I met them in Cyprus on one occasion and, although not on an official visit, I met some of our troops in a dodgy environment in the Gaza Strip in the 1980s when Deputies Tony Gregory and Joe Sherlock and I visited there. Although we were guests of the uprising rather than of the Israeli Government, we met some Irish troops who were working there. One cannot but be impressed by their commitment, particularly to non-violent conflict, and their determination that the use of force is the last item on their agenda. That was made extremely clear to me. I wish them well.

I will not go through the list of arrangements made for the support of our troops. I assume that we have a professional Defence Force and that the basic back-up will be provided. I am old enough to remember, however, the first deployment of troops to the Congo and the shock of the tragedy of the Niemba ambush. Even then, Irish politicians and the general public retained a belief that these things are worth doing, despite the very rude awakening of seeing a military procession through Dublin more than 40 years ago.