The Tánaiste and Minister for Defence has praised the work of the Defence Forces serving in a UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.
Micheál Martin said the Irish troops in the region "operate a first-class operation".
He made the comments during a visit to Camp Shamrock where he met members of the 124th Infantry Battalion, who are on deployment with the United Nations Interim Force Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Mr Martin is accompanied by the Secretary General of the Department of Defence Jacqui McCrum and Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Seán Clancy.
Mr Martin said he was "very honoured" to be at the base and to see firsthand the work the Defence Forces are doing to keep the peace in the region.
He said he had received "a very comprehensive briefing and assessment of the situation and the challenges that they face in a very, very difficult environment".
"There's been a lot of exchanges between Hezbollah and the IDF and the area of operation is one now where there is very significant military activity."
Earlier, he said the Government is determined that those responsible for the death of an Irish UN peacekeeper in Lebanon are brought to justice.
In 2022, Private Seán Rooney, 24, from Co Donegal, was killed while serving in Lebanon when his convoy was attacked.
It is Mr Martin's second visit to Beirut after the death of Pt Rooney.
Asked if the Government had given any consideration to withdrawing from the mission amid the increased volatility, the Tánaiste said "you just don't pull out overnight from a peacekeeping operation".
He said Ireland is part of "a wider, more expansive force" in the area, adding: "We're just part of a wider, more expansive force here that really has kept the peace and it's only when peacekeepers pull out that real carnage develops."
Mr Martin admitted that mission "is very challenging" and he said that is why an additional platoon of Irish troops has been deployed to the region.
The Tánaiste said having been to Jordan and Egypt recently, he is "very conscious" of the degree to which the war in Gaza has "created real potential for destabilisation in the region".
His itinerary also includes meetings with the Lebanese minister for defence Maurice Sleem and minister of foreign affairs Abdallah Bou Habib.
Additional reporting: PA
