Defence Forces
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-16
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Catherine Callaghan (FG), Carlow-Kilkenny

I welcome the Minister's response. As someone who has served overseas, I recognise, as the Minister mentioned, that the future of peace support operations may look very different to those that have shaped previous peacekeepers, like me. Looking ahead, does the Minister see Ireland's overseas contribution remaining focused? She has already said that it will always be in accordance with Irish law and international law and the principles of the UN Charter. Does the Minister see that these will be on UN missions, particularly in Africa where many peacekeeping and stabilisation challenges are likely to arise or does she envisage a greater role for Ireland in EU-led peace support operations, or maybe a combination of both? With that in mind, what capabilities does Government believe the Defence Forces will require over the next decade to fulfil those missions effectively? Are we likely to see a greater emphasis on areas such as intelligence, cyber capabilities, drones, force protection, medical support and specialist training, alongside our traditional peacekeeping roles?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:52:17+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-16