Tá áthas orm an deis a bheith agam anois leanúint ar aghaidh leis an méid a bhí á rá agam nuair a cuireadh an díospóireacht seo ar athló an tseachtain seo caite. Bhí mé ag moladh fórsaí na Náisiún Aontaithe agus an pháirt ghníomhach atá glactha ag muintir na hÉireann agus trúpaí na hÉireann san bhfórsa idirnáisiúnta sin.
Mar a dúirt de Valera nuair a tháinig sé ar ais go hInis tar éis a bheith gafa an uair sin: as I was saying when I was interrupted this time last week, our forces in the United Nations and the United Nations force itself have gained respect, principally in our case due to our neutrality and, secondly, due to the fact that they do not go out there on a confrontation basis: they do not go out as a colonising force, nor are they looked upon as an occupying force. Therefore they approach their task in a very professional way. The important thing is that they build up a relationship with the people in these areas where no peace exists, where people have had a very rough time, where people are thrown out of their living areas or exiled from their own places. In this way they build up a relationship and a friendship with the people in these areas, particularly, for example in Lebanon today. Therefore they are accepted there.
When I was recalling this, particularly with regard to Lebanon, the thought struck me as to what might have happened in our situation, if in the Six Counties in Northern Ireland, a UNIFIL force had been brought in there in the late sixties and early seventies. Perhaps in these times, when things seem to be getting worse rather than better, it is the time to look at this question again. Even Mrs. Thatcher might be persuaded to look at the question of the introduction of a UNIFIL force into the Six Counties and that they could be accepted as a peacekeeping force between the various communities in the six county area.
There have been many successes by the UNIFIL forces, many successes particularly by our own troops there. I think it is important as well as to reflect on the many casualties they have suffered. I recall over 30 years ago coming to Dublin at the time of the Niemba ambush when Captain Gleeson and some other members of the Irish force were killed there and the funerals were held here in Dublin. We think of the many other casualties we have had, from that until quite recently, when three of our soldiers were killed in Lebanon. It is frightening that these people who go out on a peacekeeping mission in these areas have to pay the supreme penalty of their lives. But it is done in the best interests of the people there, in the best traditions of our Army and in the best traditions of soldiering.
The big question arises not so much with the dangers or the accidents that happen. Soldiering is a dangerous occupation. Soldiers, being the professional people they are, accept the difficulties of their occupation. We cannot accept the situation in certain areas, particularly in Lebanon, where there are forces backed by the Israeli Government and Israeli forces themselves causing more trouble for our soldiers in particular and for the UNIFIL soldiers in general. This is not acceptable at all and definitely not acceptable to a country such as ours. We have diplomatic relations with Israel. We have had very friendly relations with that country since the establishment of the state of Israel. We have had many things in common. One thing that springs to mind especially is the question of language, about which we heard so much today and with regard to our heritage. We look with envy on the way the Israeli people were able to receive their language. We would probably say that if we had given the same amount of attention to our language or had we approached it in the same way with the same enthusiasm, perhaps we might have been able to do the same here.
There is a President of Israel who is from Dublin. Yet, despite the special relationship there, despite the fact that we have diplomatic relations with that country and therefore should be on a very friendly basis with them, they are and continue to be helping forces who are bombing our troops, who are firing at our troops, who are casualties and who are causing death among our troops. Even the conduct of the Israeli army towards the members of our troops is very very questionable and something we cannot accept. It is incumbent on the Government to make it known to the Israeli Government that this is not at all accepted and not at all tolerated and will not be tolerated by us. The deaths we have suffered are bad enough but to think they have been added to by the unfriendly acts of what should be a friendly government is just intolerable.
It is important to emphasise that the UN soldiers are going out on a peace mission and that our soldiers are involved in keeping the peace on a temporary basis between warring factions and, hopefully, creating the atmosphere that in time full peace will come to these areas such as Lebanon, Cyprus and the very many other areas in which the UN troops are engaged and in which to their credit our own troops were engaged as well.
I was struck last week by the ceremonies in Arbour Hill. It was one of these most moving ceremonies. It was my first experience there — I hope it is not my last — but at least I was able to experience the moving tribute to the men of 1916 in Arbour Hill last week. I thought of these men lying in these graves, and these were the people who really founded our national Army. In the homily given by An tAthair Padraig Ó Fianachta from Maynooth he used the words "Blessed are the peacemakers". How delighted Pearse and Connolly and the various other leaders of 1916 lying in that hallowed ground of Arbour Hill would have been to know that their successors were keeping the peace, endeavouring to keep the peace, in places such as Lebanon, Cyprus and the very many other area where our troops have played a heroic and very notheworthy part over the last 30 years.