DESPITE CUTBACKS in the military budget, the Government is committed to ensuring Irish troops are “best equipped” to carry out their duties overseas, the secretary general of the Department of Defence has said.

Michael Howard said there had been financial cutbacks but that the department’s “first priority” was ensuring members of the Defence Forces deployed in peacekeeping exercises, such as the EUFor mission to Chad, could operate effectively.

Addressing the joint Oireachtas Committee on Defence, Mr Howard said a high-level goal of the Defence Forces strategy for 2008-10 was to contribute to the maintenance of peace and security in approved UN missions.

Fine Gael defence spokesman Jimmy Deenihan questioned if this strategy had been drawn up prior to the emergence of new constraints on the public finances.

Mr Howard said the strategy statement was drawn up when the Government was formed, but he was satisfied progress was being made. He said he was hopeful that even subject to constraints the Defence Forces could continue to travel in the direction set out in the document. “We have the best equipped military force Ireland has ever sent overseas operating in Chad,” he said.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil TD Seán Connick said that rebuilding the sail training ship Asgard II would be worthwhile.

Mr Connick said the reconstruction of the famine ship in his native Co Wexford would be a good way to generate employment.

Mr Howard said he expected Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea to make a decision about the Asgard II in the near future.