asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he has taken, in conjunction with the Department of Defence, to ensure that the sum of approximately £60 million due to Ireland from the United Nations in respect of Irish UN troops on service overseas on behalf of the United Nations, will be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Irish UN Troops.
40.
As of 31 December 1987, a total of £19.5 million was outstanding in payments due to Ireland by the United Nations in respect of costs arising from peacekeeping operations. Of this amount £18.9 million relates to our involvement with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since May 1978. It should, however, be noted that for the period from the establishment of the force in 1978 to December 1987 the net extra cost (that is excluding normal pay and allowances) of maintaining our contingent with UNIFIL has not exceeded the total reimbursements received from the United Nations.
The remaining amount, £0.6 million arises out of our participation in the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
The shortfall in payments by the United Nations in respect of our participation in UNIFIL arises because certain UN member states have not paid their full assessed contributions to the UNIFIL account. The Government's concern at this situation has been made known on all appropriate occasions to the Secretary General, as well as to the States directly concerned. Our delegation at the General Assembly has been active in highlighting this issue and has co-operated with the representatives of other troop contributing countries in pressing for its early resolution.
As regards UNFICYP, the position is that the force is financed by voluntary contributions from member states, and these fall considerably short of the costs incurred. The size of the resulting deficit, which stood at approximately $166 million at 31 January 1987, makes it unlikely that early progress can be made with regard to reimbursement of the sums outstanding. With a view to securing some improvement in the overall situation, the Secretary General in his report on the United Nations Operation in Cyprus for the period 1 June-30 November 1987 and with the full support of troop contributors, including Ireland, raised again for consideration by the members of the Security Council the question of a change in the method of financing the force from a voluntary to an assessed basis. Regrettably the necessary measure of agreement was not forthcoming. The Government will continue to lend support to measures which offer the prospect of increasing the funds available to the force and of reducing the amounts due to troop-contributors.