asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the role Irish troops will play in carrying out peace-keeping duties in future under the control of the United Nations.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Troops Peace-Keeping Duties.
28.
The Government are fully committed to the policy of affording all possible support to United Nations peace-keeping efforts and we would, therefore, be anxious to respond positively to any requests for troops that the United Nations might make to us in the future.
At present, Irish officers and men are participating in the work of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation in the Middle East and of the United Nations Force in Cyprus. In addition, I am very glad to be able to inform the House that an Irish officer has now been appointed to the post of interim Chief-of-Staff of the newly-created United Nations Disengagement Observation Force, which will supervise the disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria signed in Geneva on Friday last, 31st May.
With regard to the United Nations Emergency Force in the Middle East, the Government decided, following the bombings in Dublin and Monaghan last month, to ask for the temporary release of the Irish contingent there. The Secretary-General fully appreciates the circumstances under which these troops are required for service at home. We informed him that when the present need has passed, we would be happy to send an Irish contingent again to the Middle East. Our commitment to the United Nations Emergency Force we regard as continuing, even though we are not for the present in a position to supply troops to that force.
I should like to avail myself of this opportunity to tell the House that the Secretary-General publicly paid tribute to the officers and men of the Irish contingent in the emergency force for the manner in which they discharged their difficult task in the Middle East. I need hardly add that this tribute is fully endorsed by the Government, as indeed, it is, I am sure, by every member of the House.