Irish soldiers are likely to serve with troops being sent to the Darfur region in western Sudan if a request is received from the United Nations.
Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea has said the Government will consider "with sympathy" any request from the UN for the an Irish contribution following this week's security council resolution to deploy 26,000 UN and African Union troops to the war-torn country.
No request has so far been received for what will be the world's largest peacekeeping force, but one is anticipated and the criteria will be carefully considered, the Minister said.
The Government is expected to make a decision next month or in October about the continued deployment of Defence Forces personnel in Lebanon.
Mr O'Dea said yesterday "it is unlikely the Defence Forces will be staying on in Lebanon" because their role is "largely complete" and the mission to Liberia has finished.
The Defence Forces currently have 165 troops in southern Lebanon. They are providing security for a contingent of Swedish troops involved in reconstruction and clearing minefields.
The UN mission to Darfur, which will cost an estimated €1.46 billion in its first year, is aimed at protecting innocent civilians in the war that has resulted in the deaths of 200,000 people and displacement of 2.5 million, when rebels took up arms in 2003 accusing the government of neglect of the region.
However, the resolution and restrictions have been criticised. It will take six months to assemble the force and troops will only be allowed to monitor illegal weapons rather than seize and dispose of them.
"This underlies my preference for the battlegroup concept to stabilise the situation" because troops would be deployed within days and when a longer lead-in period is given, greater difficulties arise, the Minister said.
Irish Defence Forces will join a Swedish-led battlegroup from January which will be on standby in case of the need for rapid deployment to tackle a security of humanitarian situation.
