Newstalk sources say Irish troops will continue to take part in the UNDOF mission in the disputed Golan Heights. 133 Irish soldiers are deployed as part of the mission on the border between Israel and Syria.

They have been temporarily moved into Israeli territory and a troop rotation is due in the coming weeks.

40 minutes have been set aside for statements on the issue in the Dáil later this evening.

The Defence Minister Simon Coveney is due to make an announcement on whether Ireland will be sending a new batch of troops to the United Nations peacekeeping mission.

A decision was made on the future role of Ireland within the mission at Cabinet today.

It follows an incident last month where Irish troops exchanged fire with militant rebels linked to al-Qaeda.

The government had demanded an urgent review of the mission in Syria to make sure that UN peacekeepers did not become embroiled in any civil war there.

But last week, the UN Security Council stopped short of ordering any major review of the future of the mission.

Tensions have also been heightened today after the Israeli military says it shot down a Syrian jet over Israeli-controlled airspace.