The Department of Defence and a senior spokesman for the EU peacekeeping mission to Chad last night gave strong reassurances that all the necessary medical facilities and logistical support would be in place for Irish troops deployed to Chad.
They were responding to a number of specific concerns raised by Fine Gael TD John Deasy, a member of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee.
Mr Deasy said he had been contacted by relatives of soldiers who will be deployed in Chad, and was concerned that the proper supports were in place.
The first Irish troops - 54 soldiers from the Army's Ranger Wing - will travel to Chad on Thursday. The entire deployment of 456 military personnel will be in place by mid-May - ahead of the rainy season.
A spokeswoman for Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea said he had travelled to Paris last week and received assurances from the operation commander of EUFOR, Ireland's Lieut Gen Pat Nash, about every aspect of the operation.
"Nothing will happen unless Lieut Gen Nash's go-ahead has been given, and he has always said he will not deploy until he is sure everything is in place," said the spokeswoman.
Last night Cmdt Ben Harvey, an Irish officer who is one of two EUFOR spokesmen, addressed the specific issues raised by Mr Deasy.
He said all troop-contribution countries, including Ireland, had provided a strategic lift (by air transport) for their own troops and equipment.
In the case of the Irish contingent it will be provided by a UK company, and Irish troops will fly in Russian Antonovs hired specifically for the operation.
In relation to 12 specific concerns expressed by Mr Deasy about the quality of medical facilities, he said there would be field hospitals - known as Role 2 - with surgical teams and full facilities.
There would also be medical evacuation helicopters with the capability of getting injured people to medical facilities within two hours and home within seven hours.
Cmdt Harvey said Lieut Gen Nash had insisted on three such hospitals, and said he would not have recommended the mission being launched without them.
He also said that the appropriate number of armed helicopters, utility helicopters and medical evacuation helicopters had been obtained through the same force-generation process, and all would provide the correct support to troops.
In response to the questions about the dates of deployment, Cmdt Harvey said he was confident that the entire Irish deployment of 456 - which makes up the second largest contingent of the 3,750 EUFOR force - would be in place by mid-May.
"We are very conscious of reaching full operational capacity by the rainy season," said Cmdt Harvey. "It begins in early June."
Mr O'Dea will be responding to priority questions about the EUFOR mission to Chad in the Dáil this afternoon.
