Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The statutory authority for the dispatch of contingents of the Permanent Defence Force for service overseas is provided for in the Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1960 and the Defence (Amendment) Act 1993.

The Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1960, as amended by the Defence (Amendment) Act 1993, authorises, subject to the prior approval of Dáil Éireann, the dispatch of a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force for service outside the State with an international force or body established by the Security Council or the General Assembly of the United Nations.

As Deputies are aware, Ireland participates in missions either established or authorised by the UN Security Council. The consistent advice of the Attorney General is that missions either established or authorised by the UN Security Council fall within the requirements of the existing Defence Acts. UNIFIL in Lebanon and UNMIL in Liberia are examples of missions established by the UN Security Council. KFOR in Kosovo, EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina and ISAF in Afghanistan are examples of missions authorised by the United Nations Security Council.

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999 authorised the establishment of KFOR for an initial period of 12 months, to continue thereafter unless the UN Security Council decides otherwise. Ireland has participated in KFOR since August 1999, following Government decision S.16137Q of 29 June 1999 and the subsequent approval by Dáil Éireann of the necessary enabling motion on 1 July 1999. The Irish contingent comprises an infantry group of 213 personnel, including a variable number of personnel in staff posts at various headquarters. The infantry group was first deployed in September 2003 following the withdrawal of a transport group which had been deployed with KFOR since August 1999. I am fully satisfied that our participation in KFOR is in accordance with the provisions of the Defence Acts relating to such deployments.

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