asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the moneys which are owed by the United Nations in respect of Irish forces serving with UNIFIL in the Lebanon and elsewhere; the period for which it is owed; and the steps, if any, which are being taken to recoup it.
Written Answers. - UN Peacekeeping Operations.
17.
As of 31 March 1987, a total of £20,124,337 was outstanding in payments due to Ireland by the United Nations in respect of costs arising from peacekeeping operations. Of this amount, £19,554,000 relates to our involvement with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since May 1978. It should however be noted that for the period from the establishment of the force to March 1987 the net extra cost (that is excluding normal pay and allowances) of maintaining our contingent with UNIFIL has not exceeded the total reimbursements received from the United Nations.
The remaining amount, £570,337 arises out of our participation in the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Of this amount, £151,422 represents general claims for the period from January 1979 to December 1984 and £418,915 is in respect of death and disability claims presented since November 1975. As our participation in the force has been at a significantly reduced level since 1973 most of these claims relate to the period prior to that date.
The shortfall in payments by the United Nations in respect of our participation in UNIFIL arises because certain UN member states refuse to pay their assessed contributions to the UNIFIL account. The Government's concern at this situation has been made known on all appropriate occasions to the Secretary General, as well as to the States directly concerned. Our delegation at the General Assembly has been active in highlighting this issue and has co-operated with the representatives of other troop contributing countries in pressing for its early resolution.
As regards UNFICYP, the position is that the force is financed by voluntary contributions from member states, and these fall considerably short of the costs incurred. The size of the resulting deficit, which stood at approximately $155 million in respect of the period to May 1987, makes it unlikely that early progress can be made with regard to reimbursement of the sums outstanding. With a view to securing some improvement in the overall situation, the Secretary General, with the full support of troop contributors, including Ireland, recently raised for consideration by the members of the Security Council the question of a change in the method of financing the force from a voluntary to an assessed basis. In the event the necessary measure of agreement was not forthcoming. The Government will nevertheless continue to lend support to measures which offer the prospect of increasing the funds available to the force and of reducing the amounts due to troop contributors.