asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if UNO reports are available in relation to the deaths of Irish soldiers serving with UN Forces; and if reports of political decisions and the factors which led to the involvement resulting in loss of life will be made available.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - UN Irish Forces.
73.
In every case where a member of the Defence Force dies while serving with a UN peace keeping force or observer group the Secretary General of the United Nations informs the Government of the circumstances of the death. It has been the practice to make this information public when it is received.
In the period since 1958 when Ireland first took part in United Nations operations of this kind a total of 35 members of the Defence Forces have died while serving with the United Nations. Of this number 17 were killed in action; 11 died in accidents; and seven died from natural causes. The latest occasion on which an Irish soldier died while on UN service was in 1971; the most recent death in action was in 1967.
As to the political decisions and other factors leading to the involvement resulting in loss of life, the initial decision to establish a UN force or observer group is, of course, taken by the appropriate UN organ—generally the Security Council; and the decision on our side to respond to a request from the UN Secretary General to contribute Irish officers or men to such a force is in the first instance a matter for the Government. Since 1960, however, as the Deputy will be aware, the provisions of the Defence (Amendment) (No.2) Act 1960 make it necessary to obtain the advance approval of Dáil Éireann for the dispatch of a contingent to serve with the UN—unless the numbers involved are less than 12 or the contingent as a whole is unarmed. This has been done in all cases as required.
Once a contingent or group from the Defence Forces has been sent to serve with the United Nations the day to day conduct of the mission at an operational level is a matter for the United Nations—that is for the Secretary General and his advisers acting under authority of the appropriate UN resolution.
From time to time the Secretary General publishes as a public UN document a general report on the operation of forces over a particular period. This report would refer where relevant to casualties suffered by the force or group in the period in question. The number of such progress reports to date is quite large but if the Deputy is interested in a particular issue I could have the matter checked so as to obtain for him, or refer him to, any such report which may be relevant.
Will information be made available to Members? This has been a grey area over a number of years and there have been complaints that people have been unable to obtain information. When I asked the question in relation to political decisions, I meant the politicians on the ground in the Congo at that time. Were the armchair generals responsible for the death of the Irish soldiers? I want to examine the reports that are available to clarify the situation.
There are UN reports but the Deputy will appreciate that with regard to individual deaths where there is an inquiry it will not necessarily be the case that the report will be published. The reopening of the issue might distress the family concerned. If the Deputy has any problem with regard to a particular instance, I would be happy to talk to him about it.
The fact I am trying to ascertain is whether some of the deaths were a result of political decisions made by civilians rather than by the military.
Of course such matters are under the control of the Secretary-General and his advisers who are civilians but at the operations level the individual officer in charge has to take decisions. However, as in all cases of military forces operating under civilian control, the civilian authority has the ultimate responsibility.
Can I get the relevant information from the Minister's Department?
Yes. If the Deputy will get in touch with me I shall give him any information he needs in this matter.
Will this include all the operations in the Congo?
The Deputy is referring to a matter sufficiently long ago for the State to have changed its name. As the Deputy is aware, it is the Republic of Zaire.
That does not negative the validity of the Deputy's question.
If the Deputy wants access to any UN report, on this or on any other operation, of course the report is available to him.
Will they be the reports of civilians on the ground at the time?
They are the reports of the Secretary-General to the relevant UN organ.