Billy Timmins
Ceist:113 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Defence the number of members of the Defence Forces currently serving on the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KVM; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4957/99]
Written Answers. - Overseas Missions.
Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:213 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence if he will outline the recent requests for the Defence Forces to participate in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. [5116/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 213 together.
The Government decided on 8 December, 1998 to allow up to 30 members of the Permanent Defence Force and the Garda Síochána to participate in the Kosovo Verification Mission – KVM – which was established last year by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE. It was intended that up to 27 members of the Defence Forces and up to three members of the Garda Síochána would be deployed.
Five members of the Defence Forces are currently serving in key appointments with the mission. Personnel are selected individually by the OSCE on the basis of submitted curriculum vitae (CVs). In this connection ten further CVs in respect of members of the Permanent Defence Force were recently submitted to the OSCE for consideration.
The matter of the deployment of further members of the Defence Forces up to the limit approved by Government will be kept under review in the light of the outcome of the Rambouillet peace talks and the prevailing security situation.
With regard to participation in humanitarian tasks, a total of 27 military personnel has been seconded to APSO to assist in the relief effort in Honduras following the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch.
Apart from the aforementioned no recent requests for participation by the Defence Forces in overseas missions have been received.