Military planners are examining significantly increasing troop contributions to an EU mission in Bosnia and a Nato-led mission in Kosovo as the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon winds down.
Minister for Defence Helen McEntee says she would also like to see the Irish Naval Service contribute to an EU mission targeting the Russian shadow fleet in the Mediterranean.
It comes as the Government progresses a contentious piece of legislation abolishing the triple lock, a legal provision which requires a UN mandate before more than 12 Irish troops can take part in overseas peacekeeping missions.
McEntee argues the triple lock is no longer fit for purpose and that it grants countries like Russia and China – permanent members of the UN Security Council – a veto over the deployment of Irish troops. Opposition parties argue the triple lock is central to Irish neutrality.
Abolition of the requirement for UN approval would allow Ireland to take part in EU missions which do not have a UN mandate, including Operation Irini, a naval mission in the Mediterranean.
Ireland previously contributed to Irini, including sending a ship there in 2023. At the time, the mission had a UN mandate to prevent the smuggling of arms into Libya.
However, that mandate was withdrawn last May, forcing Irish personnel to pull out of the mission at short notice.
Irini has since been retooled to focus on combating Russia’s shadow fleet, a collection of hundreds of vessels with fraudulent registrations which are used to evade sanctions on Moscow’s oil exports.
Speaking at the annual conference of the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (Raco) on Wednesday, McEntee said she would like to see Irish personnel return to Irini following the abolition of the triple lock.
“I had an opportunity to meet with some of the serving officers who had to leave immediately once the UN mandate didn’t continue, and what I heard very clearly is that we have not only benefited from our contribution to Irini but also we have contributed significantly.”
“I would like to see if it’s possible our troops reinstated there. There are 23 other countries that didn’t leave that are still part of that operation.”
Raco’s conference heard calls from military officers for the Government to find new overseas missions for the Defence Forces to contribute to. This follows the decision of the UN Security Council to wind up Unifil, the peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon where over 300 Irish soldiers are stationed.
The mission is due to start winding down early next year, bringing an end to five decades of Ireland’s presence in the region.
Military representatives argue a new mission is needed to drive recruitment and retain serving personnel. However, the UN has not approved a new peacekeeping mission since 2014.
The Government is examining proposals to contribute to a new EU-led mission in Lebanon focused on training up the Lebanese Armed Forces. However, any troop commitment would likely be much smaller than Unifil.
[ Triple lock neutrality row fuels fractious Dáil exchangesOpens in new window ]
Officials are also examining other smaller missions where Ireland could send additional troops. One is KFOR, a Nato-led mission in Kosovo where around 13 Irish troops are currently stationed.
The other is Operation Althea, an EU military mission to support civil authorities in Bosnia. Ireland currently contributes seven troops.
Planners are examining the possibility of significantly increasing troop commitments to both missions, sources said. Discussions are in the early stages, and no numbers have been confirmed.
Such an increase could occur even if the triple lock remains, as both missions already have a UN mandate.
Defence Forces chief of staff Lieut Gen Rossa Mulcahy said the drawdown from Unifil “will be a challenge for us for sure because we’ve been there for almost five decades. But it is not the end of our overseas service.”
He said the Defence Forces is looking for new challenges, and he will advise the Minister on potential contributions to future missions.