I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 13 together.
I would refer the Deputy to columns 646 and 647 of the Official Report containing my statement to the House on 18 January 1991, regarding the safety of Irish military personnel and their dependants in the Middle East.
Nuclear, biological and chemical protective clothing, including respirators, has been issued to all members of the Permanent Defence Force serving with UNIFIL. In addition one thousand chemical detector sets have been forwarded to the mission area.
There are no proposals to evacuate personnel from the mission area at present but an evacuation plan has been drawn up by UNIFIL headquarters as a contingency measure. Evacuation arrangements would be administered by the United Nations. In the interests of security, and as the contingency plan has been drawn up and would be implemented, should the need arise, by the United Nations, it would be inappropriate to disclose details of it. Nationally owned equipment would be catered for in the evacuation plan.
The operational situation in relation to all Irish personnel in the area continues to be closely monitored.