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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 5 Feb 1992

Vol. 415 No. 4

Written Answers. - Defence Force Overseas Service.

Paul McGrath

Ceist:

199 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Defence the numbers of defence personnel serving at present with the United Nations and their locations; if he has offered to send a battalion to Yugoslavia; and if he will outline the effect overseas service has on the morale of the force.

Current participation by members of the permanent defence force in United Nations missions is as follows:

(i) UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon)

754

(ii) ONUCA (United Nations Observer Group in Central America)

11

(iii) UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation)

20

Personnel attached to this mission are located as follows:

Israel — 10

Syria — 4

Lebanon — 3

The remaining three officers have been redeployed from the Middle East on a temporary basis to serve with the United Nations military liaison mission in Yugoslavia.

(iv) UNFICYP (United Nations Force in Cyprus)

8

(v) UNIKOM (United Nations Iraq Kuwait Observer Mission)

8

(vi) UNMOGIP (United Nations Military Observer Group India Pakistan)

1

(vii) OSGAP (Office of the Secretary-General Afghanistan Pakistan)

1

(viii) UNAVEM (United Nations Angola Verification Mission)

15

(iv) MINURSO (United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara)

6

(x) UNAMIC (United Nations Advance Mission in Cambodia)

2

Total

826

No request has been received for a battalion of the Permanent Defence Force to serve in Yugoslavia.
In addition to the three officers serving with the United Nations military liaison mission in Yugoslavia six members of the Permanent Defence Force are serving with the EC Monitor Mission to Yugoslavia.
Experience over the years has clearly demonstrated that overseas service has many military advantages and contributes greatly to the enhancement of morale.
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