Call for Irish Army to join peacekeeping missions

Irish defence forces must be allowed to participate in more peacekeeping missions, it was urged today.

Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, said the current mechanism governing the operations should be altered.

“We favour changing the current triple-lock mechanism so that our defence forces can participate in more peacekeeping missions which are consistent with the principles of the United Nations, such as the current EU-led mission in Macedonia,” Mr Kenny said.

Any Irish military involvement in troublespots around the world needs the approval of the Government, the Dáil and the United Nations under the ’triple-lock mechanism’.

However, it is believed that the Government wants Irish soldiers to join the European Union’s proposed rapid reaction battle groups.

The opposition party leader, Mr Kenny, was speaking ahead of his trip to Kosovo tomorrow to visit the 200 Irish peacekeeping troops stationed in the former Yugoslav province as part of the NATO-led KFOR operation.

Mr Kenny, who will be joined by the party’s defence spokesman, Billy Timmins, praised the role played by Irish peacekeepers in Kosovo and other countries.

The Fine Gael delegation will meet the Commander of the KFOR mission, Lt General Yves de Kermabon, and the United Nations Special Representative to Kosovo, Soren Jessen-Petersen.

Mr Kenny said they would also visit the Irish community in Kosovo’s capital Pristina before flying home next Wednesday.