Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 4 Dec 2003

Vol. 576 No. 3

Written Answers. - Overseas Missions.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

38 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Defence the criteria that determine his decisions to deploy contingents of the Defence Forces on missions abroad; the criteria for prioritising certain missions over others; and the grounds for ruling out participation. [29493/03]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith)

The White Paper on Foreign Policy, published in February 2000, commits the Government to sustaining the overall level of Ireland's contribution to peacekeeping while developing a more selective approach to future requests from the United Nations having regard to the number, size, nature and complexity of its current peacekeeping operations.

The provisions underlying Irish participation in overseas peace support operations are set out in the Defence Acts. The Defence Acts do not allow for the deployment of contingents of the Defence Forces overseas in the absence of a UN authorisation. The statutory authority for the dispatch of contingents of the Permanent Defence Force for service overseas is set out in section 2 of the Defence (Amendment) No. 2 Act 1960, as amended by the Defence (Amendment) Act 1993.

The conditions under which the Defence Forces may participate in overseas peace support operations have been made very clear by the Government. In this regard, the conditions, which have been referred to as the triple lock, must be satisfied, that is: the operation must be authorised-mandated by the United Nations; it must be approved by the Government; and it must be approved by way of a resolution of Dáil Éireann.

The question of Defence Forces participation in overseas missions is kept under regular review. Requests from the UN for Irish participation in new missions are considered on a case by case basis within the context of the United Nations stand-by arrangement system, UNSAS. The following factors are taken into account when considering any particular mission: an assessment of whether a peacekeeping operation is the most appropriate response; consideration of how the mission relates to the priorities of Irish foreign policy; the degree of risk involved; the extent to which the required skills or characteristics relate to Irish capabilities; the existence of realistic objectives and a clear mandate which has the potential to contribute to a political solution; whether the operation is adequately resourced; and the level of existing commitments to peacekeeping operations and security requirements at home.

While there are risks attaching to any peacekeeping operation, a key aspect and the primary concern in terms of participation in any mission is the safety and security of Defence Forces personnel. For this reason, a detailed reconnaissance and risk assessment is undertaken prior to the deployment of a contingent and the results are considered and evaluated prior to a final decision to deploy.