asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in the context of a shortfall of finance for Army pay, the timescale he envisages for the payment of the £14 million owing to the Government by the United Nations in respect of peace-keeping services of the Defence Forces overseas.
Written Answers. - Overseas Peace-Keeping Services.
18.
As of 31 December 1987, a total of £19.5 million was outstanding in payments due to Ireland by the United Nations in respect of costs arising from peace-keeping operations. This was reduced to £15.1 million as of 31 December 1988. Of this amount, £14.5 million relates to our involvement with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since May 1978. In the past two years, the major defaulters in payments to the UNIFIL account have either begun to pay their full assessments and their arrears or have made a commitment to do so over a period of years. This explains the reduction in the amount due as of 31 December last. I expect that the deficit in the UNIFIL account will be made up gradually over the next few years as the outstanding arrears on the UNIFIL account are repaid to the UN. It should be added that the extra cost to the State of providing troops to UN peace-keeping operations, that is, those costs exceeding normal pay and allowances, have been more than covered by the reimbursements by the UN.
The remaining amount outstanding, £0.6 million, arises out of our participation in the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). This force is financed by voluntary contributions from member states, and these fall considerably short of the costs incurred. Because the operation is voluntarily funded, it is unlikely that early progress can be made in reimbursing the sums outstanding. The Government will continue to support changing the financing from a voluntary to an assessed basis and any other measures which offer the prospect of increasing the funds available to the force and of reducing the amounts due to troop contributors.