Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. I also welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. There has been little discussion with regard to Irish troops serving in the Golan Heights. This matter is particularly important at present, particularly in light of what is happening on the border between Turkey and Syria. The situation in the region gives rise to great concern and I am of the view, therefore, that we must give consideration to it.

I listened with interest to what Senator Whelan had to say. I recall visiting Baldonnel with my future wife in 1960 or 1961 in order to watch the first Irish troops departing for Africa. I remember the sense of pride among people at the time about the fact that those troops were being deployed abroad. For many years we had seen British troops being sent to various locations across the globe but they, of course, did so as imperialists. However, as Senators Whelan and Mooney reminded us, the Irish troops to whom I refer were being deployed to Africa as peacemakers.

There are some viewpoints which are worthy of consideration. A former Irish Army officer, Tom Clonan, has previously described Irish troops stationed on the Golan Heights as human shields. As was the case in respect of other peacekeeping missions, they are stationed in the middle of an area between Israel and Syria. It appears they are in more danger from the various Syrian factions than they are from the Israeli defence forces. If some major incident involving these Irish troops occurs, we in this House will find ourselves asking what should we have done and whether we have plans to take action. I am aware of a number of moves which have taken place in the area to which I refer. Are we sure we know what we intend to do if anything involving our troops should occur? I am not seeking to comment on this matter but if the feeling I have expressed is shared among members of the Irish Army, then it is a matter of some concern.

Senator Mooney referred to the UN contingent from the Philippines which has withdrawn from the mission to the Golan Heights. It is interesting that the President of the Philippines has stated "Our troops cannot be deployed to help in a situation where their mission is impossible or unclear" and "As commander in chief and leader of this country, I don’t want to deploy you to handle a ‘mission impossible'". Is the Minister of State of the view that deploying Irish troops is a mission impossible or is it a mission the objectives of which are unclear? Does he disagree with the President of the Philippines and is he in a position to state that the Irish troops in the Golan Heights have a clear mandate and mission, with the proper security guarantees in place? In light of the fact that the US has been making statements to the effect that this particular conflict in the Middle East could last many years, can the Minister of State provide a mid-term or long-term outlook with regard to Irish troops serving with the UN force in the region? Should we expect that our troops will be obliged to commit to serving for many years to come? Are there plans regarding what might happen if some disaster or other occurred?

Organisations such as the United Nations are doing their best in the context of their operations in the Middle East. Countries such as Jordan must be commended for the role they are playing in terms of helping to alleviate some of the effects of the current crisis. I refer, in particular, to the efforts of these countries to take in refugees. Jordan has a long history of welcoming in refugees from the many conflicts - that which marked the foundation of the State of Israel, the 1967 war or those which arose more recently - that have occurred in the Middle East. I very much welcome funding allocated by Ireland towards the efforts of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the Red Cross, the International Refugee Committee and other organisations in order that they might help to properly address the crisis in the Middle East. Will the Minister of State elaborate on the position of the Irish citizens who are working for various organisations carrying out operations in the region or who are representing the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade there? It would be useful if he could provide an overall indication of the position, if that is possible. If an Irish citizen is captured in the region, upon whom do we rely for assistance? Should we rely on the United States, the UK or others to rescue him or her? Should we pay a ransom? Should we send in the Army Ranger Wing or are we helpless to assist? I am sure the Minister of State would not want to reveal any operational details but I am interested in obtaining a general sense of what might happen in a situation such as that which I describe.

This is a useful debate. We should discuss this matter more often, particularly as I am not sure whether we have plans with regard to what should be done if an incident occurs. I would welcome any comments the Minister of State may wish to make but I understand that he will not be in a position to reveal anything of an operational nature. No one is ever going to state that we would be happy to pay a ransom because that would only encourage those carrying out abductions. However, I would like to believe that this matter has been thought through and that there are plans in place to deal with any incidents which might occur in the future.