Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

Ireland has participated in UNMIL since December 2003, following a decision of the Government on 24 June 2003 and the subsequent approval by Dáil Éireann of the necessary enabling motion. Since then, the UN Security Council has authorised the continuation of UNMIL for successive periods and the Government has approved continued Irish participation. Ireland, together with an infantry company group from Sweden, provides the quick reaction force to the UNMIL force commander. The Irish contingent currently comprises 422 personnel. The role of the quick reaction force is to respond rapidly to any crises that arise within the area of operations and to support other UNMIL deployed contingents, including long range patrols into the countryside. While it has been a difficult mission, particularly in terms of the operating environment, it is working very well for the Defence Forces.

In December 2005, Ireland agreed to a request from the UN for support in expanding the area of operations of UNMIL to include Sierra Leone, as authorised under UN Security Council Resolution 1626 of 19 September 2005, and to allow Irish troops be made available for extraction operations should it become necessary to evacuate the staff and detainees of the Special Court for Sierra Leone in Freetown. The Irish contingent assumed its additional responsibilities in late December 2005 following Dáil approval on 15 December 2005. UNMIL is currently providing a permanent guard of 250 personnel from the Mongolian contingent at the special court.

In addition to conducting normal patrolling and security operations in Liberia, the Irish contingent currently conducts limited operations in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in support of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Since 30 March 2006, a small detachment of the quick reaction force, including Irish and Swedish troops, have been deployed to Freetown as preparation for supporting the security of the special court, if necessary.

The current Irish commitment to UNMIL continues until November 2006, when we are due to withdraw from the mission together with our Swedish partners. In a letter to the Taoiseach dated 3 March 2006, the UN Secretary General requested Ireland to consider postponing the withdrawal of its troops from UNMIL for a period of at least six months to give the UN time to find a suitable replacement for the quick reaction force capability. Our current assessment is that the security situation in Liberia, while continuing to be fragile, is stable and improving. We are also of the view that the remaining forces should be capable in general of handling security. However, I assure the House that Ireland remains committed to peace support operations in Africa under a UN flag. Detailed consultations have taken place with the UN, including a high level meeting at UN headquarters in New York on 24 April involving representatives of my Department, the Defence Forces and our ambassador to the UN. We are now in the process of finalising our consideration of the matter in light of these discussions. I am confident we will be able to respond positively to the Secretary General's request for one further six month extension to May 2007, whereupon we will withdraw the contingent. I am advised that the UN is actively engaged in efforts to find a suitable replacement for the capability provided by the Irish-Swedish contingent and that the period to May 2007 will enable it to complete this process.

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