Around 100 Irish soldiers are expected to be included in a major European Union peacekeeping force in the Lebanon after EU ministers reached agreement in Brussels yesterday.
The ministers committed about 7,000 EU ground troops and an additional 2,000 specialist forces, mainly naval and air support.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan hailed the move as creating the backbone of a credible force, which could total up to 15,000 troops. Mr Annan said he had asked France, who will contribute 2,000 troops, to continue to lead UNIFIL until February 2007.
"It is vital that we deploy strong, credible and robust forces," Mr Annan said. "In today's world there is lots of competition for troops and there's no pool sitting in barracks. They can be deployed in a manner which does not produce tensions among the protogonists or which does not require contact with the Israelis."
Minister for Foreign Afairs Dermot Ahern said the increased size of the EU commitment meant that Ireland could now consider making a "substantive contribution to the mission".
"We needed really to know that there was going to be a substantial force there," Mr Ahern told journalists following the meeting.
Irish soldiers are unlikely to be sent in the first wave in September, but Mr Ahern said that troops could eventually be sent in the second or third wave - in October or November.
Italy will send the most troops with 3,000, while France sends 2,000 and Spain 1,200. Paris and Rome will also share ground leadership, with France in charge until February, when Italy will take over.
Several other EU countries are also contributing, with Poland pledging 500 soldiers and Belgium up to 400. Britain, Germany, Greece and Denmark offered to contribute to the 2,000 specialist forces.
The total number of troops foreseen under the UN resolution is 15,000.