The Irish general in charge of the European Union's delayed peacekeeping operation in eastern Chad is confident he can launch the mission from mid-January.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said today that General Patrick Nash is hopeful there will be "boots on the ground in mid-January."
The news emerged at an EU summit in Brussels today after member states offered helicopters and medical facilities.
The 3,700-strong peacekeeping mission to Chad was due to have deployed in October but Gen Nash's concerns about the logistics of the operation delayed the deployment of troops.
He was backed up by the a study published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology earlier this month which the operation was undermanned, underequipped and risks becoming engulfed in the region's conflicts.
However, it now seem likely the mission will be approved next week.
Mr Ahern said: "It looks likely that there have been enough contributions. Pat Nash has informed me there will be meeting on Wednesday 19th December and he has told me he is very confident."
