Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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46. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will be proposing a renewal of the UNIFIL mandate for a further 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30836/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware of Government's recent approval for the continued participation of Defence Forces personnel in UNIFIL for a further year, until May 2026.

Both the Government and I strongly believe that Ireland’s continued participation in UNIFIL reflects our commitment to multilateralism and the maintenance of international peace and security and that the Mission is essential in supporting peace and security in Lebanon and in the wider region.

The current UN Security Council UNIFIL mandate runs to 31st August 2025. The outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in 2023 has resulted in more challenging mandate renewal processes at the UN Security Council with differing views emerging from UN Security Council members primarily, as well as from actors in the region.

While recognising this changing context, I am of the view that the mandate as provided by the United Nations Security Council is sufficient and I urge its renewal for a further twelve months this coming August. Ireland is currently engaging, and will continue to engage, in active diplomatic efforts to convey our position on this matter, with the hope of influencing the UN Security Council in particular.

Finally, it is worth noting also that in the event that the UN’s Security Council is not successful in renewing the UNIFIL mandate, that under current legislation, which requires a UN Security Council mandate to permit Irish personnel to be deployed to an international peace operation, that Irish troops will have to withdraw from the Mission immediately upon expiration of the mandate.