Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to report to the select committee on the Defence Forces' participation in UN missions in 2011. The report for 2011 was laid before Dáil Éireann on 5 March 2012 and the following motion has been placed on the Order Paper of Dáil Éireann:

That Dáil Éireann approves the Report by the Minister for Defence regarding service by the Defence Forces with the United Nations in 2011, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 5 March in accordance with section 13 of the Defence (Amendment) Act 2006.

In commending the motion I will outline some of the key aspects of Ireland's involvement with the United Nations in recent years. A central tenet of Irish foreign policy is support for the multilateral system of collective security, represented by the United Nations. In this regard, Ireland has worked to uphold the primary role of the UN Security Council in the maintenance of international peace and security. This commitment has found expression in Ireland's long-standing tradition of participation in UN peacekeeping operations. Ireland has participated continuously in such operations since 1958, a service that has comprised more than 61,000 individual tours of duty. Participation in overseas peacekeeping missions is a key element of Ireland's foreign policy and has been an important dimension in meeting Ireland's international obligations as a member of the United Nations and the European Union. Irish foreign policy is directed at supporting co-operative arrangements for collective security through the development of international organisations, especially the United Nations. This has included supporting effective international action in areas such as disarmament, peacekeeping, development and human rights. This approach continues to define Irish priorities within the UN system.

Notwithstanding our current economic difficulties, Ireland willingly continues to play a full role in contributing to the security of Europe and the world, providing professional peacekeepers for a range of missions throughout the world. During 2011 the Defence Forces continued to make a major contribution to international peacekeeping through their participation in UN-led and UN authorised missions. Personnel were deployed on 12 missions throughout the world in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Our main mission in the year under review was the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL. At the request of the United Nations and following approval by Dáil Éireann, a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force, comprising some 435 personnel, was deployed to UNIFIL in mid-2011. The deployment to UNIFIL was Ireland's largest deployment overseas since the withdrawal of the Irish contingent from the MINURCAT mission in Chad in May 2010. Reflecting the high regard in which Irish peacekeepers are held, Brigadier General Patrick Phelan took up the appointment of Deputy Force Commander of UNIFIL for an initial period of one year in April 2012. In June 2012, the Irish contingent was downsized to some 360 personnel following the deployment of some 170 personnel of the Finnish armed forces to UNIFIL and the formation of a joint Irish-Finnish battalion. Partnership with other like-minded states has become an increasing element of our overseas peacekeeping operations. I would like again to thank the Government and armed forces of Finland for participating in this mission with Ireland. In the absence of partners such as Finland, the range and nature of overseas operations Ireland could undertake in support of international peace and security would be significantly curtailed. Such joint deployments further support interoperability, build experience and further deepen the excellent bilateral relationship between our countries.

The UN has stated that UNIFIL plays a vital role in stabilising southern Lebanon and particularly the area adjacent to Israel where Irish and Finnish troops are deployed. South Lebanon has witnessed a period of unprecedented calm, thanks to the work of the mission as well as the excellent peacekeeping partnership between the Lebanese armed forces and UNIFIL, which are critical to maintaining stability in the area at a time of heightened tensions in the region.

Ireland is currently contributing 438 Defence Forces personnel to 11 different missions throughout the world. Also, around 150 additional personnel have been on stand-by for rapid deployment as our contribution to the German-Czech-Austrian battlegroup for the past six months and are due to be stood down at the end of this month. This is a significant contribution in the context of the reduced resources available for defence and reflects the Government's continued commitment to international peacekeeping and to the ongoing development of the Defence Forces. Relative to our size and our available resources and capabilities, both financial and military, Ireland is proportionately a very large peacekeeping contributor within the international community.

It is important for Ireland to continue to build on our long tradition of service to the founding principles of the UN by making practical commitments of personnel to peace support operations. I assure the committee that, notwithstanding the economic challenges we are facing, the Government is committed to ensuring that the Defence Forces continue to contribute in a meaningful way to overseas operations. However, our contributions will be practical and sustainable within the resources available for defence. The Government and I place high importance on the valuable work being done by members of the Defence Forces throughout the world. I fully recognise the importance of operational experience in peace support operations for the ongoing development of the Defence Forces. Indeed, I had the honour to see at first hand the dedication and professionalism of our military personnel serving overseas when I visited the Irish battalion serving with UNIFIL in October 2011. I look forward to paying a return visit to our troops in Lebanon over the coming months.

A key facet of Ireland's approach to international peace support operations is the engagement of Defence Forces personnel at all levels with the local communities they are called on to serve. Irish troops serving overseas not only display their professional commitment in fulfilling the UN mandate but also support and encourage local communities through humanitarian and community projects. In Lebanon, previous Irish battalions have completed a number of projects over the years with financial help from Irish Aid. I am delighted to see that recent battalions have continued this excellent tradition.

Our involvement in peace support missions has greatly enhanced the professional capacity and capability of the Defence Forces. This has, in turn, increased our value to the UN. The appointment of Irish officers such as Lieutenant General Pat Nash as Operation Commander for EUFOR Tchad/RCA, Brigadier General Gerald Aherne as Deputy Force Commander of MINURCAT, Brigadier General Patrick Phelan as Deputy Force Commander of UNIFIL and Colonel Michael Beary as Mission Commander of the EU mission for the training of Somali security forces is another indication of the high regard in which Irish personnel are held internationally.

In conclusion, I acknowledge the huge demands placed on personnel who serve overseas and on their families. Without their loyal and continuing support, Ireland's strong tradition of service overseas under the auspices of the UN would not be possible. Their committed and dedicated service in overseas missions reflects well not only on the Defence Forces but on the nation as a whole and contributes to the excellent reputation in which Ireland is held among peacekeepers throughout the world. We should all be conscious, in the context of the number of Defence Forces personnel we have across the world, that while some of us will be enjoying our Christmas dinners, they will still effectively be on duty in some of the more troubled parts of the world, serving the cause of peacekeeping and peace enforcement and continuing to enhance the reputation not only of the Defence Forces but of this State, as well as our commitment to and involvement in UN missions.