Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

I thank Members for their contributions to the debate. Many issues have been raised and I will try to deal with as many as I can. Senator Leyden summed it up. This is a very important humanitarian mission and it fits with the wishes of this House and the Government that we play an active role in trying to save lives.

Many Members said the role of the Army complements the work we do on the humanitarian side. It is great to see our overseas development work expand. Through our missionaries and NGOs, we are doing much fantastic work, especially in Africa.

I mention my interest in this area because I visited Sudan twice. Many years ago I visited southern Sudan. Senator Callely mentioned the fact that many of these conflicts are ongoing. It is very frustrating for us to witness these conflicts, especially in Africa, which we wish would be resolved. On my first visit to Sudan, there was a north-south conflict on which progress obviously has been made. The current conflict is Darfur which has been ongoing for many years. I visited there in 2004 and I keep in touch with what is happening.

What we are doing will greatly help the situation in Darfur because we will deal with people fleeing from the Janjaweed and other rebel groups in that area. The region is dangerous but we will provide security. There are always risks, with which I will deal, with these missions but the contribution we will make will be enormous.

On Senator Callely's point, there are huge political problems affecting the internal situation in Sudan where there is an African Union mission which is taking a long time to put in place. It is supported by the international community. That has caused problems. There was resistance to outside parties becoming involved so, in many of these instances, politics has held up conflict resolution. It is a terrible situation but we as a small nation are doing our best in many of these regions. The work we will carry out in Chad will be very significant and I hope all will go well. Meanwhile, the process of peace and conflict resolution within Darfur will proceed. I hope progress will be made there. Major players such as China have a substantial input there and we must keep the pressure on at international level.

A very basic question was asked about male and female involvement. The selection process obviously is open to male and female members and the process is under way. I have no details regarding the composition of this mission but I have no doubt there will be a good combination of males and females involved, as they are in some of the missions I have seen abroad recently. I recently visited Kosovo where there is a very good involvement of female members of the Defence Forces.

Senator Leyden and others raised the question of the Reserve Defence Force. There are no plans to deploy members of the RDF. It would require legislation because they are, as the Senator noted, volunteers. I have noted the points made by the Senator.

Issues such as security and water were raised. In respect of water, there is a reserve of 30 days' supply of bottled water which will be stored in a very cool environment. In respect of sanitary issues, it would be necessary to drill water holes for the supply of water, which was another point raised in the debate.

I believe Senator de Búrca raised a question relating to French involvement. The EU support mission in Chad and the Central African Republic was established under the authority of the UN Security Council resolution 1778, which was unanimously adopted in September. As a chapter 7 mission, the Security Council has deemed that the situation in Chad and the Central African Republic constitutes a threat to international peace and security. This is the basis for the Security Council's action in deciding to authorise the mission, including authorising the deployment of troops by the EU. For its part, the EU is committed to the establishment of a force that is neutral and impartial and operates in full co-operation with the UN. There will be 1,200 French troops, which is a third of the overall contingent in the region. I thank the Senator for raising that matter.

The mission will last for 12 months from the date it becomes fully operational. At the end of this period, the mission may be taken over by the UN. Major General Pat Nash will report on the situation in Chad in six months' time.

I believe Senator Bradford mentioned the matter of reporting back. An annual report on participation by the Defence Forces on all overseas missions will be laid before Dáil Éireann in accordance with the Defence Acts. I agree with the Senator that it is imperative to have further debates. We will arrange for that at the appropriate time.

Senator Feeney asked whether Major General Nash's involvement is a first. It is a first in that his is the first high-profile post as an EU operational commander but there were other high-profile positions taken up by Irish people, such as those occupied by General Sean McKeown, General Bill O'Callaghan of UNIFIL and Major-General Quinn. As Senators probably know, we have a framework nation involvement in Kosovo, which I visited recently and where I met troops. Brigadier-General Gerry Hegarty is the commanding officer there with 1,200 soldiers under his command. It is very encouraging to see so many Irish people in prominent positions dealing with many of these conflicts throughout the world.

Senator de Búrca and many others raised the issue of safety. The decision to send troops overseas is not taken lightly and I assure the House that our ability to protect the health and safety of our personnel is of paramount concern when considering any mission. While no absolute guarantee can be given with regard to the safety of troops serving in missions, it is the policy and practice to ensure Defence Forces personnel are appropriately trained and equipped to carry out their mission. The detailed threat assessment and reconnaissance undertaken informs decisions regarding the configuration of the contingent and its protection. In the case of the current mission, the Defence Forces will deploy a full range of force protection assets, including Mowag armoured personnel carriers, close reconnaissance vehicles and indirect fire capabilities. These together will provide the necessary armoured protection, mobility, firepower and communications. The Mowag APCs being deployed were also deployed with the Defence Forces when they served with UNMIL in Liberia and UNIFIL in Lebanon where they performed very effectively. In addition, the existing French presence in Chad is capable of rapid expansion, if necessary, to support the EU force. We are all very conscious of this issue.

I was asked whether we were happy with the procedures for the management and protection of the health of our personnel. Senator Burke raised the fact that major plans are in place. A key concern of the mission is the health of our troops, having regard to the environmental health issues arising in a tropical setting. The Defence Force adopts a comprehensive approach to managing and protecting the health of its personnel. As a matter of course, all personnel volunteers must have passed their annual medical examination in the first instance. They are then subjected to a further detailed overseas medical examination where they are assessed for suitability with particular reference to the physical requirements of the particular mission. The troops to be deployed in Chad will go through that process. All troops will be fully immunised against known disease risks. In respect of possible water-borne parasites or diseases, the Defence Forces will bring their own water purification plant and sewage treatment plant with them. On return from the mission, all troops are fully tested from a health perspective as a matter of course. The Defence Forces will deploy a containerised medical facility as part of the battalion. This facility will be operated by two medical doctors who will be assisted by a team of 13 Defence Forces medical personnel and paramedics.

I know there may be other issues but we could return to them at a future date. I thank Members for their contributions to this debate. It has been very helpful and also shows the considerable support and respect for our Army personnel. I commend the individual members of the Permanent Defence Force who have served and continue to serve on overseas missions, together with their families and loved ones. As we enter the Christmas season, I know it will be a difficult time for the families with loved ones far from home. However, I know the arrangements we will put in place will help ensure there is good and effective ongoing contact between our peacekeepers and their families.

In respect of security, we have a key Irish person in place. Our troops will not be allowed to go to Chad until all the logistics and arrangements mentioned are in place. Important provisions are being made. People have mentioned situations where evacuation might be needed. All those are being considered very carefully. As I said previously, we have an Irish person in place who will involved in making those decisions.