Dessie Ellis
Question:85. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces personnel currently deployed throughout the world; and the number of countries. [21288/13]
View answerTuesday, 7 May 2013
Questions (85, 316, 318)
Bernard Durkan
Question:316. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the degree to which further overseas, EU or UN associated troop deployments are likely to emerge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21557/13]
View answerBernard Durkan
Question:318. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the number and location of Army, Navy and Air Corps personnel deployed overseas on foot of EU or UN deployment missions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21559/13]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 85, 316 and 318 together.
Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas are listed in the following tabular statement. Of the 439 personnel serving overseas, 427 are Army, 2 are Naval Service and 10 are Air Corps personnel.
The main overseas missions in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed are UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with 357 personnel, including the Deputy Force Commander; the EU Training Mission (EUTM) Somalia with 10 personnel, including the Mission Commander; the EU Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali) with 8 personnel; the EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina with 7 personnel; the NATO-led international security presence (KFOR) in Kosovo with 12 personnel; and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan with 7 personnel. Ireland also contributes 23 observers and staff to various United Nations and OSCE missions and 15 other personnel to staff appointments at UN, EU and OSCE headquarters.
The current contribution of some 439 personnel to overseas missions reflects the Government’s continued commitment to our responsibilities in the area of international peace and security.
As regards future deployments of Defence Forces personnel overseas, Ireland receives requests, from time to time, in relation to participation in various missions and these are considered on a case-by-case basis. When considering any particular request, the existence of realistic objectives and a clear mandate, which has the potential to contribute to a political solution, consideration of how the mission relates to the priorities of Irish foreign policy and the degree of risk involved are amongst the factors considered.
Last month, Ireland received requests from the UN to deploy a small number of additional observers to the UN Truce Supervision Organisation in the Middle East to the Headquarters of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Syria. These requests are currently receiving consideration and a decision will be made shortly.
No other formal request has been received from the UN for Defence Forces participation in additional missions. However, the UN regularly advises member States of deficiencies in existing or new missions. In this regard, my Department is also currently considering whether there is the potential for the Defence Forces to contribute to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
Members of the Permanent Defence Force Serving Overseas as of 1 st May 2013
|
1 |
UN Missions |
|
|
(i) |
UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) HQ UNIFIL 107th Infantry Battalion UNIFIL Sector West HQ |
16 333 8 |
|
(ii) |
UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation) – Israel, Syria and Lebanon |
12 |
|
(iii) |
MINURSO (United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara) |
3 |
|
(iv) |
MONUSCO (United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) |
3 |
|
(v) |
UNOCI (United Nations Mission in Ivory Coast) |
2 |
|
TOTAL |
377 |
|
|
UN Mandated Missions |
||
|
(vi) |
EUFOR (EU-led Operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina) |
7 |
|
(vii) |
EUTM Somalia (EU-led Training Mission in Uganda) |
10 |
|
(viii) |
KFOR (International Security Presence in Kosovo) – HQ |
12 |
|
(ix) |
ISAF (International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan) |
7 |
|
(x) |
EUTM Mali (EU-Led Training Mission) |
8 |
|
TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING WITH UN MISSIONS |
421 |
|
|
2 (i) |
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) OSCE Mission to Bosnia & Herzegovina |
2 |
|
(ii) |
OSCE Mission in Belgrade - Serbia |
1 |
|
(iii) |
Staff Officer, High Level Planning Group, Vienna |
1 |
|
TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING OSCE |
4 |
|
|
3 |
EU Military Staff |
|
|
|
Brussels |
4 |
|
4 |
Military Representatives/Advisers/Staff |
|
|
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) |
Military Adviser, Permanent Mission to UN, New York Military Adviser, Irish Delegation to OSCE, Vienna Military Representative to EU (Brussels) Liaison Office of Ireland, NATO/PfP (Brussels) EU OHQ Operation Althea, Mons, Belgium |
1 1 5 2 1 |
|
TOTAL NUMBER OF DEFENCE FORCES PERSONNEL SERVING |
||
|
OVERSEAS |
439 |