Dan Boyle
Ceist:290 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Defence the reason service medals issued to armed forces personnel who have served on the Kosovo mission are issued by NATO and not the United Nations. [21329/03]
Written Answers. - Service Medals.
A contingent of the Permanent Defence Force has participated in the international security presence in Kosovo, known as KFOR, since August 1999, following Government and Dáil Éireann approval of 29 June 1999 and 1 July 1999 respectively.
KFOR was established on 10 June 1999 in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, for an initial period of 12 months, to con tinue thereafter unless the UN Security Council decides otherwise. While the mission is authorised by the UN, it is led by NATO. A similar situation pertains in respect of the UN authorised missions in Afghanistan (ISAF) and in Bosnia-Herzegovina (SFOR). As the KFOR mission is led by NATO, service medals issued to personnel serving with KFOR are issued by NATO rather than the United Nations.