Call for more anti-drone measures for Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon

Irish troops at Camp Shamrock near the border between Lebanon and Israel. File picture

A former head of the country’s largest military representative association has called on the Government to provide improved drone countermeasures for Ireland’s peacekeepers serving with the UN in Lebanon.

Gerry Rooney, ex-general secretary of PDForra, which represents enlisted Defence Forces personnel, says the Government must extend the same kind of drone countermeasures provided to EU dignitaries and officials to Ireland’s peacekeepers serving with the Unifil mission.

He said such measures should already have been introduced, given the Israeli drone threat level that the peacekeepers have been subjected to in recent years.

“The Israeli Defence Force [IDF] has directly threatened Irish peacekeepers serving with the UN in Lebanon, using drones,” Mr Rooney said.

Gerry Rooney says the IDF has threatened Irish peacekeepers serving in Lebanon, using drones. File picture

“The low-tech and high-tech anti-drone defensive measures that have been rolled out for the visiting EU dignitaries should also have been extended in some form to Irish UN peacekeeping personnel.

“Indeed, such measures should now be provided and used in the protection of Ireland’s peacekeepers carrying out their duties in accordance with international law and the UN Charter,” he said.

Mr Rooney, who served in Lebanon, claimed that the IDF had threatened a joint Irish–Polish peacekeeping patrol with a grenade-type device, dropped from an Israeli drone. Moreover, an Israeli drone was positioned above the Irish Unifil battalion HQ in Lebanon when Tánaiste Simon Harris visited on St Patrick’s Day last year, and overflights made by Israeli drones are commonplace above the Irish battalion’s area of operations.

“Given the French are assisting Ireland in its drone defence measures during the period of the EU presidency, it would have made sense that similar appropriate assistance be sought for Irish peacekeepers where the French also serve, and who have been similarly threatened by the Israeli drones.

Simon Harris at Camp Shamrock near the border with Lebanon and Israel to meet Defence Forces troops serving with Unifil in 2025.  File picture  

“It appears the inaction in this important area is further sign the Irish Government is withdrawing from UN peacekeeping,” Mr Rooney said.

The former soldier, who is currently the Workers’ Party representative for the Meath East Dáil constituency, said the Government should be protecting Irish peacekeepers properly.

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Ireland has the longest UN peacekeeping record of any country in the world, starting in 1958.

“No expense should be spared in protecting Ireland’s peacekeepers serving abroad with appropriate drone countermeasures — including those serving with Unifil.

“The threat level from Israeli drones is above that which exists in the context of the EU presidency, where extensive drone protection measures are being put in place with French assistance,” he said.