Members of the Garda Síochána will be deployed in Afghanistan for the first time as part of a new EU police initiative.
Six gardaí will travel to the country for 12 months to take part in a mission led by Eupol (EU police) to train and organise local police forces. The six members of the force are expected to depart within weeks.
Some 23 countries are taking part in the mission, mainly from Europe but also from Canada and New Zealand.
The decision to send the gardaí was formally approved by the Cabinet yesterday after the Government was briefed by the Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern.