Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 24 Oct 2000

Vol. 524 No. 5

Written Answers. - Overseas Missions.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

153 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Defence the facilities that are provided for members of the Defence Forces serving overseas in regard to postage, telephone calls and emergency family situations and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22993/00]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith):

Regular contact with home helps to sustain the high morale of our personnel serving overseas and facilitating communication with home is seen as a priority.

All personnel serving overseas are entitled to one free five minute 'phone call per month. Special arrangements are provided in relation to duration of calls for personnel serving on isolated missions or in places where there is no local telecommunications infrastructure.

In the case of personnel serving with Unifil, the United Nations provides free postal facilities to Ireland for letters and small parcels. Each person is allowed five aerogrammes home per week. For personnel serving with Untaet in East Timor, arrangements have been made to provide for five free airmail letters per week per person. These arrangements cater for the majority of personnel serving with overseas missions.

In the event of emergency domestic situations arising for personnel serving overseas, action is taken to notify the personnel involved without delay. A humanitarian and compassionate approach is adopted in cases where personnel may require to be repatriated. In the past twelve months, 89 personnel from five overseas missions have been repatriated and a total of 224 personnel from seven overseas missions have been repatriated in the last three years.

Travel and subsistence costs for the visits of the next of kin of seriously injured or ill members serving on overseas missions would normally be funded by the Department. In the last three years, it has been necessary to facilitate the families of four personnel in this manner.

Where officers are serving in unaccompanied posts overseas for a duration of 12 months or more, the costs of one family visit home per annum are provided. In the case of officers who are accompanied by their spouses but who have children in full-time education in Ireland, the vouched cost of two return journeys per annum may be paid for the children to visit their parents, if the posting is of 12 months or longer duration. Alternatively, either or both parents may return home in which case a contribution equal to the combined cost of the fares of the eligible children may be paid.

Question No. 154 taken with Question No. 113.

Question No. 155 taken with Question No. 124.