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IRISH TROOPS BASED in Afghanistan will be coming home at the end of this year, but future participation in the NATO-led force has yet to be decided.
Seven troops are currently based in the Kabul headquarters of the International Security Assistance Force.
Their non-combat roles are in the areas of planning and administration.
In 2011, the former Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said that two Irish soldiers worked in with Counter Improvised Explosives Device unit – one acting as a technical adviser, and another providing analysis on improvised explosive devices.
The cost of this deployment was placed at €320,000 per year.
In response to questions from Sinn Féin TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, Minister for Defence Simon Coveney said:
The overall drawdown of ISAF personnel is currently underway and the withdrawal of the Defence Forces personnel will be coordinated in this context.
“Irish personnel will complete their service with the mission in December 2014.”
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Mac Louhlainn raised concerns over Ireland’s past and any future involvement in the country.
“Sinn Féin support and are very proud of the role that Irish troops have in player in peacekeepeing,” he said, “but the concern we have is that increasingly our troops are involved in operations that seem to be aligned to NATO objectives, and that they take part in EU Battle Group exercises.”
This drift could impact on our neutrality. We’re seen as an honest broker in conflict resolution.
A decision is yet to be made on whether the Defence Forces will take part in the training of the Afghan National Security Forces
“The question of Ireland contributing to the follow on mission in Afghanistan is currently being considered in the context of what other contributing countries are planning,” Coveney noted.
The Defence Forces have taken part in the UN-mandated mission since 5 July 2002.
A United Nations report revealed on Wednesday that opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan reached a record high this year, highlighting the failure of the multi-billion-dollar US-led campaign to crack down on the lucrative crop.
With NATO troops withdrawing from Afghanistan, fears are rising that worsening instability could trigger further growth in opium cultivation as Afghan security forces struggle to push back the resurgent Taliban.
British troops withdrew fully from the country in October.
Originally published 7.30am
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Didn’t they only say just last week that we were doing fantastically well?
Cut the ESRI altogether….that should save a good few bob !!!!!!!!
Yeah, if we get rid of all the people saying we need to close the gap between governent spending and revenue then maybe it’ll all just go away.
The ESRI do not exactly have a credible record as economic advisors.
Yes if we cut the ERSI from the public purse maybe they might start getting it right in the world of sink or swim.
Yes daniel they did but that was last week :-)
its only an extra 400 million say it fast doesn’t sound much …
Down with that sorta thing
Careful now
How can u cut more and more and expect growth ,, it just doesnt make sense
What do you want us to do, follow the examples of Germany and Holland, who are still performing reasonably well and have low debt.
FG/FF will never do that, and their excellent track record of only bankrupting the state 4 times in 90 years is proof of that.
Absolutely nothing is being done at the moment for the domestic economy, indeed August has been the worst month to date for company insolvencies. The SME’s, the domestic economy are dying, but then again they are only with the rest of the little people and are well below the concern of FG/FF. Always have been, always will be.
What kind of salaries are ESRI academics on? Wasn’t it one of the cheerleaders of a ‘soft landing’? More calls for a tow from the Titanic.
have your say