Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Defence Paul Kehoe reviewing the 58th Infantry Group ahead of their six month deployment to Syria as part of United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) last Summer

OK, maybe a Kaiser.

Last night.

A motion on the participation of the Defence Forces in a German-led battle group next year passed in the Dáil.

Irish soldiers will be on stand-by ready to be dispatched to “emerging crises and conflicts around the world”.

Via RTE:

[junior defence] Minister [Paul] Kehoe said: “Participation in the EU’s battle group represents another means for Ireland to express our commitment to the UN and its principles.” Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers said the party would support the motion because he said Ireland was committed to maintaining peace across Europe Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó’Snodaigh said that in his opinion sending a battle group into a conflict area to disarm one side is taking sides. “We are a neutral country; that is not our role and should never be our role in the future,” he said. Labour’s Brendan Ryan said Labour would be supporting the motion….

There you go now.

Dáil votes to have Defence Forces join EU battle groups next year (RTÉ)

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