Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 17 Apr 2002

Vol. 552 No. 1

Written Answers. - Overseas Missions.

Proinsias De Rossa

Ceist:

49 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the call made by the commander of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Lebanon for the return of a small group of Irish soldiers to help cope with violence in the area; if he has received a formal request from the UN for personnel; his views on such a request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11772/02]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith): As the House will be aware the 89th Infantry Battalion, the last Irish Battalion to serve with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, completed its service with the force in November 2001. In the meantime 11 members of the Defence Forces – ten officers and one NCO – have continued to serve with the force in its headquarters at Naqoura, Lebanon, and are due to complete their tours of duty early next month.
However, on foot of a request by the UNIFIL Force Commander to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations Headquarters to maintain a small cadre of Irish officers in UNIFIL, a formal request was received in my Department on 4 April 2002, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, for the provision of eight Defence Forces personnel – five officers and three NCOs – to fill appointments at UNIFIL HQ from May 2002 onwards. Some of the appointments offered to Ireland are new and will be part of the new UNIFIL HQ structure.
I am pleased to inform the House that I have agreed to the UN request and the Department of Foreign Affairs is informing the UN accordingly. Two of the appointments in question are currently held by Irish personnel viz. senior liaison officer and aide de camp to the force commander. The UN proposals entail the retention of these two officers in their appointments for a further six months from May 2002. The other six personnel will take up their appointments with UNIFIL between May and October 2002.
Barr
Roinn