Seán Ryan
Question:10 Mr. Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the numbers involved and the duties of the Irish UN contingent to Yugoslavia; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - UN Force in Yugoslavia.
Pat Rabbitte
Question:31 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if any request has been received for the participation of Irish troops in a UN peace-keeping force in Yugoslavia; if he will outline the terms of reference of any such peace-keeping force and the likely extent of Irish participation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 31 together.
Following the receipt of an informal request from the UN Secretariat, the Government have decided to make available up to 20 Garda officers and up to five Army officers for service with the UN peace-keeping mission for Yugoslavia. The precise numbers of Garda and Army officers will be determined within those limits as soon as the Secretariat has received responses from the 30 other Governments which were also approached to contribute personnel to the force.
The UN force for Yugoslavia, to be called the UN Protection Force, or UNPROFOR, was formally established by the Security Council in its Resolution 743 which was adopted unanimously on 21 February. The force is intended to be an interim arrangement to create the conditions of peace and security required for the negotiation of an overall settlement of the Yugoslav crisis. Subject to any further decision by the Security Council, the force is established for an initial period of 12 months. The Secretary-General has been requested by the Council to take the measures necessary to ensure its earliest possible deployment.
The force will be under the command of the United Nations, vested in the Secretary-General under the authority of the Security Council. The overall command in the field will be exercised by a force commander, to be appointed by the Secretary-General after consultations with the parties and with the consent of the Security Council. The force will comprise: a military component of about 13,350 all ranks, including 100 military observers; a police component of around 530 personnel, under the command of a UN police commissioner who will report to the force commander; a civilian component, consisting largely of existing UN staff, which will perform a range of political, legal, information and administrative functions; and an air unit consisting of four fixed-wing aircraft and 27 helicopters.
UNPROFOR will be deployed in the three UN protected areas which, for operational purposes, will be divided into four sectors, as follows: western Slavonia, eastern Slavonia and the northern and southern parts of Krajina. These areas will be demilitarised and all armed forces there are to be either disbanded or withdrawn. The role of the UN military component will be to ensure that those areas remain demilitarised and that all persons residing there are protected from fear of armed attack.
The role of the police component will be to ensure that the local police forces carry out their duties without discrimination. The UN mission will also, as appropriate, assist UN humanitarian agencies in the return of all displaced persons who so desire to return to their homes in the UN protected areas.
The UN force is to be deployed in two stages: as a first step, the Secretary-General will immediately deploy elements of the force to assist in developing an implementation plan for the full deployment of the force. It is intended that full deployment would follow upon the conclusion of the first stage, after the Security Council has reviewed the operation and its budget. The main purpose of this two-stage deployment is to maximise the contribution the Yugoslav parties can make to offsetting the costs of the force, and secure the most efficient and cost-effective operation possible. Precise cost estimates for the operation are not yet available but will be made available.
I am grateful for the detail of the Minister's reply. Will the Minister seek an inter-departmental review between the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Defence on the increased risks being taken by Irish troops and other forces working abroad on peacekeeping missions, and if such a review has been sought will it be published without delay? Secondly, and importantly, will the Minister, in consultation with the Departments of the Defence and Justice, ensure that practical conditions such as remuneration available to Irish personnel working in those new areas is commensurate with their idealism and generosity and is also at a level comparable with those applicable to other United Nations forces?
I am grateful for the Deputy's very helpful intervention in respect of the two heads to which he referred. Certainly in the light of what the Deputy has said, special account will be taken of those suggestions. I do not consider it unreasonable to expect that people who go abroad in the service of an international body and at the same time represent their country should be properly compensated so far as money can do so — altogether apart from the idealism involved, as mentioned by the Deputy.
Hear, hear.
I am sure that all of us, both inside and outside the House, are proud of the role played by the Irish Army and the Garda in various peace-keeping missions around the world. Given the Minister's reply to the earlier questions relating to the £14 million owed to the State arising from our commmitments in a peacekeeping role, could the Minister say whether the further commmitment is expected to add to that sum or whether an arrangement has been made to ensure that the sum owed does not increase?
I am afraid that the answer is yes, there will be an additional burden. I am not sure that one can put a price on peace. However, I do recognise that, if we do have to dig a little deeper to bring that about, it is the taxpayer who takes up the tab. It brings about an even more urgent position in relation to the discharge of what moneys are owing to us. I should certainly be anxious to clear the slate in that regard.
I should like to make one brief point in order to seek balance. I laud in every way the efforts of our peacemakers on the various UN missions and I encourage the Minister to get in the moneys due to us. But does the Minister not accept that we are deploying abroad troops and a small number of gardaí whom we would in any event be paying out of the national Exchequer and that to a degree we are being paid by the United Nations the cost of troops and gardaí who would otherwise have been paid out of the national purse? It is as well for us to remember that for the sake of balance.
That is a point of view. I understand, subject to correction that the payments will be made through the United Nations. I assume that the Deputy does have a point that yes, we would in the ordinary way be paying those people as members of the Garda and Army personnel.
Is that sufficient?
I agree.
The point in relation to sufficiency raised by Deputy Higgins is one that will be addressed arising out of my undertaking to Deputy Higgins' original question.
I agreed on that.