Minister for Defence Tony Killeen has said the Government may be prepared to review its decision to pull Irish peacekeepers out of Chad if the UN mandate is extended.
Mr Killeen was commenting on criticism from Fine Gael, which said the pull-out would cause 'untold damage' to Ireland's international reputation.
The Government took the decision on Tuesday to withdraw Ireland's 400 peacekeepers from Chad after two years in the African nation.
The new Defence Minister said the troops were being ordered home because of a lack of certainty about the UN mandate beyond May.
Mr Killeen also said the Government did not want to leave troops stranded in the African rainy season without a UN mandate.
But Fine Gael has criticised the decision while negotiations were ongoing to get the mandate extended.
Fine Gael Defence Spokesman Jimmy Deenihan says the UN fears the consequences if the force is withdrawn from Chad.
Mr Deenihan said uncertainty is not a good reason to take a decision that will have a lasting effect on Ireland's international reputation.
Minister Killeen said the Government's pull-out decision stands.
However, he said he would review it if the UN gets its mandate extended in the next few days, something it had failed to do over the past few months.
Mr Killeen said he was prepared to review the situation if it is logistically possible to reverse it.
If the pull-out from Chad goes ahead, it will be the first time in decades that Ireland will not have a major mission abroad.
Soldiers say they want these overseas missions to build up their military experience.
The authorities have dismissed suggestions that it is proposed to send a full battalion to Afghanistan.
