Vol. 507 No. 3
68 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Defence the involvement of the Defence Forces in providing services and support to Kosovar refugees arriving here; the accommodation, if any, his Department has made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16608/99]
111 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the involvement of the Defence Forces in providing services and support to Kosovar refugees arriving here; the accommodation, if any, his Department has made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16822/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 111 together.
The overall responsibility for the co-ordination, management and provision of accommodation for the Kosovar refugees is a matter for the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
As the Deputies are aware, following the Government decision of 15 July 1998, five military barracks at Fermoy, Ballincollig, Naas, Kildare and Castleblayney have been closed. The disposal of each of the barracks is currently being processed. However, arising from a request from the Department of Foreign Affairs for accommodation to house the Kosovar refugees, I offered that Department the opportunity to inspect these five locations to check out their feasibility or otherwise for the accommodation of the refugees.
Magee Barracks, Kildare, has been found suitable and arrangements have been made by the Department of Foreign Affairs through the Office of Public Works to provide mobile home accommodation for the refugees there. A total of 265 refugees have been accommodated there.
Two non-commissioned officers travelled to Skopje in Macedonia on Thursday 13 May where they worked locally as civilian volunteers with the Department of Foreign Affairs. They worked under the auspices of the Irish ambassador to OSCE with regard to the administration and co-ordination of activities in the field relating to the conveyance of refugees to Ireland. The two non-commissioned officers returned home on 17 June 1999 on completion of their duties there.
