Today, the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin TD reviewed the members of the 123rd Infantry Battalion who will shortly deploy to Lebanon as part of the United Nations’ Interim Force (UNIFIL). The Tánaiste was accompanied by the Secretary General of the Department of Defence, Jacqui McCrum and the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy. The Tánaiste had special words for the families of the members of the 123rd Infantry Battalion. “I know that the current situation in the Middle East, including in the area of South Lebanon and Northern Israel is a matter of grave concern to you and I understand that this is a worrying time for you. I want to reassure you that the troops standing before us today – your sons, daughters, partners, dads and mums – are well trained, well prepared and well equipped for this deployment,” he said. Soldiers from 25 counties around Ireland are represented among the 342 strong contingent deploying to UNIFIL. More than a quarter of the group are about to deploy on their first tour of duty overseas. Addressing the 123rd Infantry Battalion, the Tánaiste reflected on the value of Peacekeeping against the backdrop of escalating activity in South Lebanon. “Peacekeeping is the most important international action for good that any nation can participate in. Your role, as part of UNIFIL, is to provide a safe and secure environment and to support local communities where they are deployed. This commitment to those communities and to vulnerable citizens lies at the heart of Ireland’s engagement in UN-Mandated crisis management operations and it has never been more relevant in light of the ongoing situation in the Middle East.” The Tánaiste went on to say ‘In my capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs, I am particularly conscious of the importance of this tradition as an essential component of Ireland’s foreign policy and your participation in UNIFIL illustrates the very
