IRISH TROOPS were left “cruelly exposed” and unable to carry out their duties on their UN mission in Chad because of fuel shortages, Fine Gael defence spokesman Jimmy Deenihan claimed, but Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea said he was “overstating” the situation.
Mr O’Dea who is “giving very serious consideration” to an extension of Irish participation in the mission in Africa, told the Dáil that a countrywide fuel shortage was one of the challenges that faced all troops in Chad and the Central African Republic, as control transferred from the EU to the UN.
This was exacerbated by the rebel incursion into Chad in early May, but he was satisfied “the fuel situation as it applies to the Irish Infantry Battalion in Goz Beida has essentially been resolved”.
Mr Deenihan said “the Irish mission was left cruelly exposed and certainly they weren’t able to carry out the duties that they were sent to Chad for”. He called on the Minister to guarantee such a situation would not recur.
The Minister said “maybe it’s perhaps overstating the case to say that the troops were left cruelly exposed”. Sufficient stocks “are now in place in Camp Ciara which will provide for the unit’s needs going forward. In addition, extra fuel is stored in the new UN fuel farm adjacent to the Irish camp. The UN also has a facility to fly in quantities of fuel at any stage.”
Mr O’Dea could not absolutely predict into the “indefinite future” but he was advised “the situation is certainly resolved for the foreseeable future”.
Mr Deenihan asked about an extension of the mission because it was effective and efficient and “the wish of the local population [was] that the Irish troops would remain” as long as possible.
The Minister agreed “the troops are performing outstandingly”. He did not envisage the Irish mission would stay on as long as in Lebanon, but he was “giving very serious consideration to an extension of the mission”.
