Vol. 538 No. 5
1 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Defence if consideration is being given to contributing to a peacekeeping mission in Eritrea; if so, when it is anticipated Defence Forces personnel will deploy to the mission; the role of the Defence Forces in this mission; the number of personnel which will be deployed; if the personnel will be equipped with the new armoured personnel carriers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17631/01]
4 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Defence his plans to increase involvement in overseas missions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18180/01]
5 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Defence when our commitment to UNIFIL will cease; if there are any plans to seek a new mission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18181/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1, 4 and 5 together.
On 3 April the Government approved the provision of a replacement contingent to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon comprising 559 personnel of the Permanent Defence Force for a six month period beginning on 30 April. This contingent will represent the final deployment of Defence Forces personnel to UNIFIL.
On 23 May 2001, the UN informally inquired as to whether, in the context of withdrawal of the Irish contingent from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in November of this year, Ireland would be willing to provide a guard and administration company of about 150 Defence Forces personnel for service with the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea with effect from December 2001.
Following consultation with my Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs informed the UN that, in the event of a formal request being received from the UN, the approval of the Government for the deployment of a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force for service with UNMEE for a period of 12 months from December 2001 would be sought. On 15 June 2001, the UN formally invited Ireland to contribute a guard and administration company of about 150 Defence Forces personnel to serve with UNMEE with effect from December 2001 for a minimum period of 12 months. Government approval will, accordingly, be sought at an early date for the despatch of a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force for service with UNMEE. Dáil approval for the despatch of the contingent will also be necessary.
It is proposed that a military team will undertake a fact finding visit to Ethiopia and Eritrea at an early date when matters such as the precise role of the Defence Forces as well as the equipment required will be determined. A security assessment will also be carried out taking account of the situation on the ground at the time.
In response to a separate request from the UN, I have agreed that two members of the Defence Forces will be deployed to the mission, with immediate effect, to take up staff appointments in UNMEE force headquarters. I have also agreed, at the UN's request, to the deployment of two officers of the Defence Forces, as military liaison officers, to the UN Peace Support Operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These officers are expected to take up duty shortly.
The total number of Defence Forces personnel currently serving overseas is 819. This number is subject to fluctuation in line with changes in mission strengths, repatriations, etc. Requests for personnel of the Defence Forces to serve on overseas missions are considered on their merits in the prevailing circumstances within the context of the United Nations Stand-by Arrangements System to which Ireland has committed up to 850 members of the Defence Forces on UN service at any one time.
Will the Minister detail the tasks that will be undertaken by members of our Defence Forces in Ethiopia? Will he detail what other nations are currently, and will be participating in this mission when our Defence Forces go out there? Are outstanding funds due and payable to the State by the United Nations to be remitted to us in the context of our concluding our UNIFIL mission?
The report on the fact finding mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea will establish the Defence Forces' precise role in the mission. However, present indications suggest that the Defence Forces will carry out, inter alia, the following tasks – provide signallers to operate the communications centre at the force headquarters; provide perimeter defence and internal security for UNMEE headquarters buildings; provide security for convoys and escort of key personnel and VIPs; provide transport services for headquarters' staff, food services for the force headquarters' staff, tactical mobile command posts, manning of military staff message centre and first line military police; give local assistance required for the second line military police and provide general administration support to force headquarters and whatever additional tasks arise from the report I will receive from the military team which will shortly go out there.
From recollection, the outstanding amounts due from the UN to the Government are in the region of £8 million. There has been a substantial improvement in recent years, as the Deputy probably knows. The UN had its difficulties in making arrangements for its funding from the contributing countries. One cannot say it is perfect, but it is considerably better than it has been for a very long time. I do not know off-hand the names of all the existing contributing countries in Ethiopia and Eritrea. There are about 4,500 troops there. I will inform the Deputy of the precise names of the contributing countries at an early date.
As regards the United Nations force in Ethiopia and Eritrea at present, what precisely is its mission and objectives?
The Irish contingent will conduct the tasks I have outlined. It is a peacekeeping mission to help to bring peace and normality and to allow the local community carry out their daily tasks in a normal secure situation. I hope the outcome to the United Nations' mandate in that area will be short-lived and will achieve those conditions and results as quickly as possible. What is envisaged here is a contingent for just one year.
Will the Minister outline what size force will be left in Lebanon and what will happen when UNIFIL withdraws? Given our commitment of almost 150 personnel to Eritrea, will the Minister assure us that he will look for other overseas missions? If so, has he been approached with regard to supplying a force to any other area?
Has the Minister any plans to visit UNIFIL in Lebanon before it withdraws? Will he consider organising a trip for the next of kin of members who lost their lives there? Could a representative from each family be brought to visit the scene where their next of kin was killed or murdered?
Arrangements are under way for my visit, which I will probably make towards the end of September. There are arrangements constantly being made for the families who lost their next of kin in South Lebanon to visit if and when they want to. These visits occur on a regular basis. Two or three have taken place in recent weeks. I will consider the question of families making further visits before the end of the year.
Early last year, we indicated that by the end of 2001, we would conclude our work in South Lebanon as we completed the mandate that we set out to achieve. This was accepted by the United Nations. Recently the force has been continually reduced because the peace process has been effective and the Israelis have moved back to meet the terms of resolution 425. It is likely the United Nations will make a decision in July and that there will be some observer force in the region, with some military supports perhaps.
Will the Minister confirm that the family visits to which he referred are taken at the families expense, and if so, will he look at the concept of State-sponsored visits? A sad legacy of our involvement in Lebanon was the disappearance of Private Kevin Joyce who went missing and was presumed dead in 1981. Have the Minister or other ambassadorial staff had any recent correspondence with members of the Palestinian organisation involved to make inquiries about the whereabouts of his remains?
The visits that are arranged for the families of soldiers killed in South Lebanon are funded by the Department of Defence. Similar arrangements will be made in the future. They have not been made only for immediate family members, but extended further in so far as that was possible. What was the second part of Deputy Timmins's question?
It related to Private Joyce.
Since 1981, despite an exhaustive check, we have not been able to recover the body of Private Joyce, and this remains a sad feature of the work of our troops in UNIFIL. In recent months, because we are reaching the end of our involvement in Lebanon, we have intensified our search in every way possible. We have established a special unit within the existing force. Links have been made with ambassadors, local mayors, and the Palestinian and Israeli authorities. Contacts were established and reports were made that raised our hopes, only to have them dashed again.
About 21,000 people are missing is South Lebanon as a result of the war. We are doing everything we can, but we do not want to raise the hopes of the families unnecessarily, unless we have concrete and satisfactory information. Their hopes have been dashed so many times over the years. We dearly wish to solve the problem, but it is not solely in our hands. I assure the Deputy that every conceivable step that can be taken in terms of making contact with anybody who could help us is being undertaken with vigour and consistency.
In the context of the conflict involving Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon, when we withdraw our UNIFIL troops from South Lebanon, what Irish troops will remain in the Middle East?
As I indicated, the United Nations in New York will take some decisions with regard to the requirements subsequent to our withdrawal. It is not likely that we will participate beyond this year. To answer Deputy Timmins's other question, we will concentrate in every way we can to look at the possibilities of serving in other areas where there is a need. It is unlikely that there will be any Irish personnel serving in South Lebanon beyond October 2001.
