asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether payments received from the United Nations in respect of duties performed by this country's forces on peace-keeping missions are up-to-date.
Ceisteanna——Questions. Oral Answers. - UN Peace-Keeping Duties.
79.
Payments by the United Nations in respect of extra and extraordinary expenses incurred in providing contingents for service with UN peace-keeping forces are made on foot of claims submitted by the Government. A certain amount of time is naturally required for the preparation and presentation of such claims and their subsequent approval for payment by the UN.
In the case of claims submitted in respect of participation by Ireland in the UN force in Cyprus which total £3,639,097 to date, the sum of £463,140 is at present outstanding.
80.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of men in the Defence Forces now involved with peace-keeping duties with the United Nations; if requests to have this number increased have been received; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There are at present six officers and men from the Defence Forces serving with the United Nations peace-keeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). In addition, attached to the United Nations Truce Supervisory Organisation in the Middle East (UNTSO) are 21 Irish officers, seven of whom have been detached to serve with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) which is supervising the disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria.
As I informed the Deputy on 6th June last, we regard our commitment to the United Nations Emergency Force in the Middle East (UNEF) as continuing though we are not for the present in a position to supply troops for that force.
Following the deterioration of the situation in Cyprus last July, the Secretary-General of the UN appealed to all countries contributing troops to UNFICYP to increase their forces. In the light of the continuing requirements at home, the Government were unable to accede to this appeal. However, as a token of Ireland's commitment to UNFICYP, the Government did agree to assign an additional three members of the Defence Forces to Cyprus.