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UN Missions

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2020

Tuesday, 23 June 2020

Ceisteanna (13)

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

13. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will report on the delay of UN mission rotation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12668/20]

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Freagraí scríofa

As part of its response to the global Covid pandemic, on 5 April, 2020 the United Nations Secretary General directed the suspension of all rotations and leave for military personnel serving in UN missions until 30 June. The UN direction impacted over 100,000 UN uniformed personnel from over 120 countries serving world-wide, including Ireland and Defence Forces personnel serving with UN missions. The suspension was based on the protection of local communities as well as that of the peacekeepers during the Covid pandemic.

On foot of the subsequent efforts of the Department of Defence, the Defence Forces and the Department Foreign Affairs and Trade, rotations to UNDOF, MINUSMA, KFOR and EUTM Mali were successfully concluded. Two personnel from the MONUSCO mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were also successfully repatriated at the end of May.

UNIFIL is our largest mission and involves the rotation of a significant number of personnel in two stages and is a complex operation. In accordance with agreed arrangements, the UN is responsible for making the transport arrangements for the next rotation of troops which was to take place mid-May but has been delayed as a result of the UN suspension. Ireland successfully secured an exemption and was granted approval for the rotation of the full contingent in June, during the UN moratorium. The UN initially confirmed that the first UNIFIL rotation would take place on 21 June with the second rotation scheduled for 29 June. However, in order to comply with current stringent UN quarantine requirements, the UN recently rescheduled the second rotation and it is now due to take place during 1 - 2 July.

The health and welfare of Defence Forces personnel serving overseas remains my primary concern at this time. In this connection, the UN has advised that transitional measures will apply for the remainder of the year, which will include a partial resumption of rotations with rigorous quarantine measures for all rotations of military personnel to and from UN peacekeeping operations and periodic reviews built into the process. These revised health and safety measures, including pre-deployment and in theatre quarantine requirements are being applied consistently by the UN across all their missions.

I am keenly aware of the difficulties changes in scheduled rotations causes for both personnel and their families. Personnel rotations, even in normal times, are complex involving diplomatic clearances for overflights, landings and transit which can result in delays given the lead times for securing such clearances. Covid 19 and the restrictions imposed by the UN to ensure the health and safety of both peacekeepers and the host State population have added to this complexity. As the Deputy will appreciate, we do not have full control of these matters, or of the additional and changing requirements which may be imposed either by the UN or the host State. All we can do is to try and ensure that personnel and their families are kept up to date.

All communications on these matters are managed through the military channels. In that regard, I have directed that the personnel and families of contingents deploying and returning from missions be advised and updated by the Defence Forces on a regular basis as soon as information comes to hand. I am assured by the Chief of Staff that this is being implemented and that appropriate channels for relaying information to personnel and their families in a timely manner are in place.

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