asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government are in a position at this stage to consider the question of overseas service of a peace keeping force if requested by the United Nations.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Peace Keeping Force.
2.
The Government regret in the light of existing circumstances that they are not in a position at the present stage to take a decision on the release of a contingent of troops for United Nations peace keeping operations.
However, the Deputy will recall that at the time of the withdrawal of the Irish contingent serving with the United Nations Emergency Force in the Middle East in May, 1974, the Government informed the United Nations Secretary-General that they would be happy, when present needs had passed, to send again an Irish contingent to the Middle East. It was also made clear at the time that we regarded our commitment to the United Nations Emergency Force as a continuing one, even if for the present it was not possible to supply troops. In view of this the Deputy may be assured that the possibility of our again supplying troops to the UN Emergency Force in the Middle East remains under active review.
3.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of members of the Defence Forces serving overseas; and the areas of operation.
I take it that the Deputy has in mind members of the Defence Forces serving overseas with United Nations peace keeping operations and would accordingly refer him to the written reply which I gave on 4th February, 1976, to a similar question tabled by Deputy Lemass. The details given in that reply remain unchanged.