Dinny McGinley
Ceist:77 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Defence the recent new requests for the Defence Forces to participate in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. [26783/98]
Written Answers. - Overseas Missions.
Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:156 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the recent new requests for the Defence Forces to participate in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. [26943/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 156 together.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, is establishing the Kosovo verification mission, KVM, on the basis of an agreement signed by the chairman in office of that organisation and the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on 16 October 1998. UN Security Council Resolution 1203 of 24 October 1998 endorsed and supported the agreement and urged states to make personnel available to the mission.
Yesterday, the Government decided to allow up to 30 members of the Permanent Defence Force to participate in the mission. Five military officers are being deployed immediately to key positions in the planning and support unit of the KVM. It is anticipated that the remainder of the personnel will be deployed to the mission early in the new year at which stage OSCE selection procedures are expected to be completed.
At my request, four military personnel visited Honduras between 26 November 1998 and 2 December 1998 on a fact finding mission to ascertain what humanitarian assistance could be rendered by the Defence Forces over a short timeframe in the wake of the destruction caused by hurricane Mitch. A report on the visit is being studied in my Department at present in consultation with the military authorities with a view to assessing what assistance, if any, could be given. It is envisaged that military personnel would be seconded with pay to a non-governmental agency.