Defence Forces
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-09
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Tom Brabazon (FF), Dublin Bay North

Our peacekeepers have been operating in very difficult circumstances in recent months, as the Minister has outlined, with air strikes, drone strikes and ground operations in the Irish area of operation. The escalating hostilities and recent deaths of peacekeepers is extremely concerning. We need to make sure that the Irish peacekeepers are given every necessary protection.
On top of that, the local Lebanese population has a great trust in our peacekeepers and respect for them. This is down to the peacekeepers' exemplary service and our own history of suffering oppression at the hands of colonial powers. The international community cannot let the end of the UNIFIL mandate create a vacuum in south Lebanon. For the local community who lives there the presence of UNIFIL has given them reassurance. I again urge the Minister to do everything in her power to have that mandate, in whatever way, extended so that there is not a vacuum left in south Lebanon.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-09