Déirdre de Búrca (Green Party)

The Government launched its information booklet on the Lisbon treaty yesterday. Will the Leader clarify what role this House will play in educating and informing the public about the treaty? Most people are aware there is a deficit of information on it. Members of the public have said they do not know enough about it and repeated polls have shown that. The House should play an important role in debating all the various issues and we have the facility to do that. I ask the Leader to outline in what way he sees the House fulfilling that role.

Another issue I wish to raise, which I raised last week, is to ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Defence to address the House on the issue of the Irish troops who will be deployed in Chad next week. The Minister met General Nash yesterday in Paris and it appears that the deployment of our troops will take place. The first Irish troops will be deployed next Thursday, but the Minister has concerns. He stated that the rebel troops were much more prepared and much better armed and organised than had been anticipated, which raises concerns about the safety of our troops when they go there. They will be part of EUFOR, a humanitarian mission, but threats have been made by the rebel troops involved that the Irish troops will be regarded as a hostile force because, unfortunately, they are linked with French forces as part of the overall EU force. I ask that the Minister be invited to outline the up-to-date position on the deployment, particularly given that he spoke to General Nash yesterday.