Vol. 521 No. 5
38 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Defence the progress that has been made regarding the establishment of the emergency response team to deal with specific requests from the United Nations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17490/00]
Ireland underlined its commitment to UN peacekeeping in 1998 when, on behalf of the Government, I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UN committing up to 850 Defence Forces personnel to UN peacekeeping under the UN Standby Arrangements System – UNSAS. This initiative is designed to increase the UN's capacity to respond to emergency situations. I understand that some 88 countries to-date have indicated their willingness to participate in UNSAS, and 32 countries have signed a memorandum of understanding formalising their commitment. Most of the personnel committed by Ireland are already on ser vice with UN, and UN authorised peace support missions at present.
As my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, indicated to the House on 15 June 2000, the UN Secretary-General has appointed a high level panel to review all aspects of UN peacekeeping and to report back before the millennium summit later this year. A new generation of complex peacekeeping operations, with political, humanitarian and military dimensions, has made it essential that the various departments and agencies of the UN involved work together in a coherent and co-ordinated manner. This and the need to improve the UN's rapid deployment capability are among the issues which the review panel will address.
Is the Minister saying that of the 850 Defence Forces personnel involved a number are already serving with the UN? Therefore, the emergency response unit is not in preparation but is already in the field irrespective of which part of the world it is in?
The answer is yes. We have an example in terms of the UN's request for an additional 50 troops to go to UNIFIL because of developments there and the work that has to be undertaken in the previously occupied Israeli area. Our ability to do this work will be enhanced more given the facilities of Partnership for Peace. Where to go will be decided on a case by case basis. The chief of staff has done an excellent job in upgrading the training to more centralised training, including the international experience and also more sophisticated equipment. There are many components to all of this. It is gearing up continually for faster deployment, bearing in mind our total resources.
In relation to the emergency response unit and building up an experienced team which would respond to the UN, does the Minister envisage working with other groups to ensure their skills can be used, for example, the Irish Medical Organisation, the various voluntary organisations involved in search and rescue, as well as the professionals? I am thinking about the logistical support that would be needed if another team was to be sent, such as that recently sent to South America after the hurricane. Has he had discussions with the Minister for the Environment and Local Government or Aer Lingus on this matter. There are a variety of people who have skills to offer to the work of the UN as well as the Defence Forces. Does the Minister see himself in the role of co-ordinating those people to build up a unit that consists not only of the Defence Forces but the many people who have served overseas and who would have the experience the UN is seeking?
I could not agree more with the Deputy on the question of having a multi-faceted approach to meeting some of these problems. While the Defence Forces are quite experienced in humanitarian and military tasks and in a variety of home-making and other helpful tasks, we have to expand that fora to meet the great needs out there. I had the experience a couple of months ago of meeting virtually all those involved in Honduras, which was a wide collection of individuals, medics, military and civilian personnel. I had an indication of interest from one individual who is well over the age to join the FCA as a result of his experience with the Defence Forces, based on their training, discipline and methods of doing things. I will open up the possibility of seeing to what extent I can co-ordinate work of that kind both in discussions at Government level and outside. As sure as night follows day we will be called on again for emergency work of that kind.
