Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 446: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will provide assurances that Irish soldiers deployed in Chad are fully equipped with maps, global positioning systems and communications equipment to ensure that events such as that which occurred recently whereby a French EUFOR vehicle which, according to reports, strayed by a few kilometres across an unmarked border into Darfur resulting in an engagement between EUFOR and Sudanese forces leading to loss of life, will be averted. [10304/08]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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All Defence Forces units deploying with EUFOR TCHAD/RCA are and will be equipped with extensive communications equipment which will include Very High Frequency, and High Frequency radio's, personal role radio, satellite phones and satellite communications for voice and data. They will also be equipped with global positioning systems (GPS). With regards to maps, in addition to having a supply of maps the Defence Forces personnel will be equipped with a cartographic machine which will provide units with the capability to produce maps of the area of operations.

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 447: To ask the Minister for Defence the transport arrangements that have been put in place to transport the full contingent of the Irish EUFOR mission from the west coast of Africa to Chad in April 2008; and the length of time it is expected that journey will take. [10131/08]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Defence Forces, in association with the EUFOR TCHAD/RCA Operation Headquarters, Paris, has in place a logistics operational planning process for the deployment of Irish troops to Chad. As part of the Defence Forces Strategic Plan for the mission, the deployment of the full contingent of Ireland's troops will be by chartered flight. It will be a direct flight from Dublin to Chad and it will necessitate a technical stop-over to allow for refuelling and crew change. The journey time will be approximately nine (9) hours.