John V. Farrelly
Ceist:22 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Defence the request, if any, for Irish military personnel to serve in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16736/99]
Other Questions. - Irish Participation in KFOR.
John Browne
Ceist:39 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Defence the preparations made in relation to the Defence Forces being made available to aid those involved in the Kosovo crisis. [16607/99]
Austin Deasy
Ceist:49 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Defence the sections of the Defence Forces which would be considered sufficiently well qualified to assist in the KFOR operation in the province of Kosovo; and if a request for these forces to be made available has been received. [16789/99]
Liam Burke
Ceist:54 Mr. L. Burke asked the Minister for Defence the contribution, if any, the Defence Forces can make to the Kosovo peacekeeping mission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16582/99]
Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:55 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the preparedness of Irish troops to participate in peacekeeping missions in Kosovo; the requests, if any, made; his response to these requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16580/99]
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:56 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent and the capacity in which Irish troops will be asked to serve in Kosovo; if Irish units will work alone or under the command or jurisdiction of other forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16787/99]
Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:95 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the preparedness of Irish troops to participate in peacekeeping missions in Kosovo; the requests, if any, made; his response to these requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16805/99]
Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:96 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the contribution, if any, the Defence Forces can make to the Kosovo peacekeeping mission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16806/99]
Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:110 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the preparations made in relation to the Defence Forces being made available to aid those involved in the Kosovo crisis. [16821/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 39, 49, 54, 55, 56, 95, 96 and 110 together.
The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1244 on 10 June 1999 which, among other things, authorised the establishment and deployment of an international security presence in Kosovo, KFOR. The Security Council resolution established KFOR for an initial period of 12 months from June 1999 and it will continue thereafter unless the Security Council decides otherwise.
Following discussions between the Department of Foreign Affairs and my Department, the Secretary General of NATO was informed on 9 June 1999 that Ireland would be interested in participation in KFOR, subject to approval by the Government and the Dáil. The NATO secretariat has identified a KFOR requirement for a transport unit in line with what Ireland could contemplate providing to the force. A formal invitation to participate in KFOR is expected. Following consideration by the Government yesterday of the request, it has been decided, subject to the approval of the House, to agree to the dispatch of a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force comprising a transport group estimated at between 80 and 100 personnel, equipped with 32 vehicles for an initial period until June 2000, for service with KFOR. The necessary enabling motion will be brought before Dáil Éireann by the Minister for Foreign Affairs before the House rises for the summer recess. It is envisaged that it would take a minimum of six weeks from the date of Dáil approval to the commencement date of deployment of the contingent.
A military fact finding mission to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe – SHAPE – at Mons in Belgium is today seeking clarification on a number of practical matters in relation to the proposed participation in the force. Should Dáil approval to participate in KFOR be forthcoming, it will be necessary to send a Defence Forces reconnaissance party to the mission area prior to deployment and before a final decision is made on the actual composition of the transport group. In the meantime, all necessary forward planning in relation to the recruitment of personnel, the preparation of vehicles and equipment etc. is ongoing within the Defence Forces in anticipation of approval by the House to participate in the mission. It is intended that Defence Forces personnel would undergo specific KFOR training prior to their departure for Kosovo and in this regard a training syllabus is being prepared by the military authorities.
When contact was made with the Israeli Government, was the Prime Minister elect, Mr. Barak, made aware of the concerns of the Irish Government in relation to the increased dangers for Irish personnel serving with UNIFIL, given his stated intentions for the area? He obviously wishes to withdraw troops and make peace, but is he aware of the concerns of our Government? Has the Taoiseach or the Minister been able to contact him?
I do not think anyone in Israel could be unaware of the concerns we expressed which were carried on local and national television. I was there in the interregnum period between the outgoing and new Governments and, from my experience, the normal process is that outgoing Governments indicate the position regarding serious matters to the incoming Government. The Israeli Defence Minister undertook to use his offices to the fullest extent and to report to the Israeli Cabinet on our anxieties. I am not certain but I do not think Mr. Barak could avoid knowing this.
This should be followed up. Deputy Wall asked the Minister about getting back to the UN after his visit and, given the change of Government in Israel, perhaps it is appropriate to restate our concerns through the proper channels.
When I get an opportunity to address this on a formal basis it will be attended to.
On a point of clarification, if there is an Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon and we can condense the APC programme, is it Government policy to try to increase our contribution to KFOR?
That is a matter for due consideration at the time. It seems that as we are committed to having approximately 10 per cent of the Defence Forces engaged in activities under the UN banner, if we withdraw from UNIFIL there will be scope for deployment to Kosovo or other missions. I see our contribution to Kosovo, based on the agreement of the House, if it is forthcoming, as being as extensive and as comprehensive as we can possibly make it.
Is this not a comment on the changing nature of peacekeeping as undertaken by the Irish Defence Forces? As Deputy Timmins said, there is the potential to make a greater contribution to peacekeeping in Kosovo. We will obviously be debating the new request in the House this week, but how does the Minister see it? In the context of Irish peacekeeping for the past 25 years, what challenges does the Minister envisage the KFOR mission offering?
Peacekeeping has evolved and there has been a shift away from territorial defence to a more difficult and complex arena. The kind of specialist training, preparation and equipment we will have to provide, as well as the responsibility of carrying the cost, places an extra onus in our preparation to deal with those changes. However, there are opportunities. They should not be looked at as challenges that cannot be overcome. We have been able to meet these challenges in the past with meagre resources and with a different climate in the country. We should now be better able to deal with this fast changing scenario, where regional deployment will be more organised and where we will have to make full financial provisions for this ourselves. I am looking forward to this challenge, not in the sense that I want to see more problems like Kosovo, but experience shows us that this seems always to happen somewhere and we must be prepared to deal with it.
What is the cost of the mission to Kosovo?
The cost for the remaining part of this year will be in excess of £1 million. For the first six months of 2000 it will be approximately £1.2 million. We will be able to find that from our existing budget.