I welcome the Minister for Defence, Deputy Michael Smith, and his officials. We are under some time constraints and we must conclude by 3.45 p.m.
UN Service.
Acting Chairman
To save time, I suggest it is not necessary for the Minister to read a formal script.
As members of the committee are aware, the Government has authorised me as Minister for Defence to dispatch a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force to the United Nations mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea. We have verified security there and made arrangements for financing the contingent.
The major elements of the mission are outlined in the script that has been circulated to members of the committee. There are 45 other participating countries. We will start sending troops from early December. With the experience we have had in many different countries, we are confident we can use our resources to the benefit of the mission. Our experience in humanitarian and other activities gives us considerable confidence.
Given the time constraints, that is a very short summary. Knowing their interest in these matters, members may peruse the details in their own time.
Acting Chairman
I thank the Minister and appreciate the flexibility he has shown.
I welcome the Minister and thank him for the documentation on the UNMEE, the new contingent going to Ethiopia and Eritrea. Most of the contents are similar to those in previous missions. Once it became clear that UNIFIL was coming to an end, Fine Gael was keen to encourage Ireland's participation in a new mission.
This mission will comprise 150 to 160 personnel. As the Minister is aware, overseas service is the lifeblood of the Defence Forces and I would be very concerned if we had no overseas participation. Given that we had 500 to 600 troops in the Lebanon, we will have approximately 400 fewer troops abroad and I call on the Minister to investigate the possibility of sending members of the Defence Forces to serve in other missions.
I imagine the composition of this group will be drawn from various brigades or units as opposed to the mission in East Timor, which is drawn from one unit. Am I right in saying it will be drawn from various units?
Yes.
With a small contingent of about 150, it would be ideal if those people were drawn from one or possibly two units. Even though there is a preparatory period, it takes a long time for the participants to gel as a team. As we have seen in East Timor, if they come from one company, it is much easier to operate as they have trained together for several years.
I hope the contingent will be adequately equipped. I believe the equipment will be shipped out at the start of December. The funding has been taken from the Department of Defence Vote of 2001 and I am sure additional funding will be provided next year. On behalf of Fine Gael, I wish those involved well. If I may use the term, the old concept of the United Nations mission is still very important. I know that recent developments make it seem like an outdated concept. Ireland's traditional commitment to the United Nations and the various attributes we can bring to peacekeeping are vital. According to the briefing document, conditions are stable there at present and I hope they remain so.
As we often speak here on issues with which we are not familiar, in the new year it might be useful for some members of the committee, not necessarily including me, to visit the contingent. Such a trip to the Lebanon was arranged in the past.
We could facilitate DeputyTimmins by sending some colleagues from his constituency, especially in the first six months of next year.
With respect, I can think of more suitable places than Eritrea that I would like to send some of them.
Acting Chairman
It would be more practical for Deputies Howlin and McGennis to make their contributions and then the Minister can reply.
I am sure the Minister would like to send some of us as long as we did not come back.
If I were to do that, I would need to make sure of it.
I welcome the Minister and the opportunity to speak about the Army as well as our role and proud tradition of service to the United Nations. I have not had the opportunity which other members have had of paying public tribute to the UNIFIL mission, which has come to a conclusion. By any international criteria, Ireland's reputation with the United Nations is second to none. We have lost personnel in that mission but have gained enormously in reputation, not only to our military but also to our country as a whole.
It is that sort of hugely important ambassadorial role that resulted among other things in the enormous vote Ireland got for election to the Security Council of the United Nations. It is gratifying to know that we are so well served by fine people, men and women, who have served in various locations. In particular, I salute the many thousands of Irish military personnel who served in UNIFIL with distinction. On behalf of the Labour Party, I warmly welcome the new mission in Eritrea. The Horn of Africa is an area which we do not know well. There have been ongoing difficulties in the region although it is indicated that there has been a cessation of hostilities recently. Will the Minister tell the committee the expected durability of that cessation and what dangers are expected by Irish personnel in this new role? It is important that the ongoing training of Irish personnel involves postings such as this United Nations mission to Eritrea. I am interested to hear the Minister's response on the training of troops prior to their departure. The terrain, the character of people, the culture and background will be significantly different in Eritrea from other places where Irish troops have served, such as the Middle East.
I note that some of the recently acquired APCs are to be sent on this mission. Will the Minister elaborate on the level of equipment available to this force? I know that on previous postings in the former Yugoslavia, very good accommodation was provided. What is the nature of the accommodation available to troops? Will they have to provide for their own accommodation? Will they live in standard military tents? Are there particular terrain and climatic issues to be addressed? What equipment will be provided to ensure that not only are personnel safe but also comfortable?
The Minister has indicated that the mission will last a minimum of 12 months. Does the Minister foresee a long-term commitment as faced us in Lebanon or will it be one of relatively short duration? Will it be beyond one year?
I believe I speak on behalf of not only the Labour Party but all members and the wider public when I say that the role of the United Nations is greatly appreciated in peacekeeping. A UN mandate is greatly valued and it is important that such a mandate governs all our military involvement. We should act under a United Nations flag and in co-operation with the UN as an institution. The UN has great respect among the broad swathe of Irish people. We will continue to involve ourselves at a very serious level, considering the relatively small size of our Army, with missions that keep the flag, honour and tradition of Irish peacekeeping alive.
I join members in paying tribute to the contingents which served in Lebanon. I was one of the all-female committee delegation who visited the troops in Lebanon. The force was an impressive one and the visit a proud one. I have experience of army life because my father served in the Congo during the early 1960s at the time of the Niemba ambush. I wish the troops going on this mission well. It is a worrying time for families, and that worry remains until sons, daughters and spouses return home. The Minister expects that the mission will last just one year. Is that realistic? Will the troops serve six-month tours of duty as was the norm in Lebanon? We are very proud of the work Irish troops do on our behalf and wish the contingent well. I thank those who served in the past in many countries.
Acting Chairman
I commend members for their brevity and good wishes.
I thank the Chairman and Deputies Timmins, Howlin and McGennis for their complimentary remarks on the activities of the Defence Forces on international missions. The Defence Forces have served in 30 countries over a period of 40 years. As has been justifiably said, they are great ambassadors for Ireland. They have a rare ability to get to know local nuances and become involved in humanitarian activities and they are very much loved for the work they do. I greatly appreciate the comments made in that regard.
To deal with the questions raised by Deputy Timmins, overseas missions are the lifeblood of the work carried out by the Defence Forces. They are a morale-booster and are important in terms of training, inter-operability, exchanging views, linking up with other contingents, gaining experience and, most importantly, doing a really good job wherever they go. Training has been moved up a gear in recent years. The Deputy will have heard of the fitness programmes and the centralised training which forms a considerable proportion of current training. Troops may be drawn from one unit and there is a lot to be said for that. It is something we try to do as much as possible and it means that contingents hit the ground running with most requirements already in place.
On accommodation, we have moved on from the weather havens used in Ethiopia. They were good for both warm and cold climates but we have now purchased Corimacs. They are a step into the new world. We were extremely happy to find while at Camp Clarke in Kosovo that contingents from other armies visited to look at the drops and the Corimacs. For once, at our wedding, we had nothing borrowed and nothing blue.
Had they no blue caps?
We were in a position where we could upgrade equipment. This will be the first contingent to have the new MOWAG APCs. They provide better security for members of the Defence Forces when on patrol. For this mission, the UN will provide electrical and minor engineering services. They will provide field defence stores, office equipment, laundry services, bedding and furniture. The position regarding accommodation and ancillary services is well taken care of. I take the point concerning differences of climate. In East Timor, it is vital that we provide the best equipment affordable to mitigate the problems individuals face in trying to do their normal work.
We have lost 44 men in UNIFIL and one is still missing, giving a total of 45. Big sacrifices have been made by the Defence Forces and in particular by the families concerned. Regarding our UN commitments, we have made it clear on numerous occasions that each case is examined on its merits. Once that has happened the approval of the Dáil is sought. A UN mandate always informs that, which is very important. We intend to maintain that and will be looking to alternate missions.
Deputies McGennis and Howlin spoke of one year. I hope I am right because, in all the work one does, one makes judgments one hopes are right. I do not want to get involved in long-term, open-ended commitments from the beginning. Peace, democratic systems, local government, judiciaries, health infrastructure and the general organisational structures we have grown used to are not in place in many of these countries. Sometimes long-term involvement creates its own dependency and it is important to embrace the wider democratic and local government systems that enable people to manage their own affairs, improve their economic systems, manage water services and meet housing needs. That means we have to adopt a multi-faceted view of how peacekeeping and the restoration of safe, sound systems are implemented. We are now more unlikely to say we are there for the long haul at the outset of any new mission than we were in the past unless we are sure the other elements of what is needed to create change in these countries are part and parcel of that mission.
I reassure Deputy Timmins he has many friends in the Defence Forces.
They are my former comrades.
He was extremely anxious to leave the Defence Forces and represent them and others in this House. Of course I am conscious that when we conclude the final phase of peacekeeping in Lebanon we have opportunities to explore further missions. I will certainly do that because I realise how important it is, particularly in terms of training. We do not have an immediate replacement mission in mind, but this time last year we did not foresee UNMEE. We will be on the lookout.
After all those wonderful, laudatory words I want to ask a very base and mercenary question. Is recoupment of the costs of services from the United Nations up to date?
No, it is not. We are owed £11.6 million. We have made a certain amount of progress in the past few years. It was down to about £7 million or £8 million at one stage. The debt has not been cleared but, as Deputy Howlin knows from experience, the UN has its own troubles in getting the contributions from the contributing nations. It is something that we keep working at while still understanding the organisation's position. I hope we can keep it that way. We have been paid £2.3 million so far this year, which is more than usual. Perhaps I should not say something like this, but I do not think any Minister - I or those who succeed me - will ever be able to say that we have got back all the money. We will do our best.
One thing I forgot to mention was the number of troops deployed. The total is 209 to Eritrea and Ethiopia.
The Minister referred to those killed in Lebanon in action and accidents. Has the Minister news about Private Kevin Joyce who is missing and presumed dead?
I saw a report recently that the Lebanese citizen suspected of the murders of Privates Derek Smallhorne and Thomas Barrett might be somewhere in the USA and that the Government was considering tracking him down. Is that report accurate?
We have had discussions with the Lebanese authorities in connection with the tragic killings of Privates Smallhorne and Barrett. We had hoped to move on to extradition discussions. Extradition, as the Deputy probably knows, must be to the country where the crime was committed and the USA does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon. That is a big problem for us.
Regarding Private Joyce, we have exhausted every possible channel. We have been to the refugee camps, Israel and Palestine, and to Hizbollah. We would dearly wish to be able to bring this matter to a conclusion for the Joyce family and we will continue our efforts. We made it a central issue of our leaving south Lebanon to ask the Lebanese to make one last big effort to help us. That is being done but I am not in a position to raise expectations.
Acting Chairman
That sombre note reminds us all of the sacrifices made by the people travelling there on our behalf. I thank the Minister for attending today.
I thank the Select Committee and my staff.