Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 45 and 222 together.

Ireland is currently contributing 826 Defence Forces personnel to 19 different missions throughout the world. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas on UN mandated operations, observer missions or undertaking representative or staff postings are listed in the following tabular statement.

The main overseas commitments are to the United Nations Mission in Liberia, UNMIL, with 320 personnel; the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO, led international security presence, Kosovo Force, KFOR, with 211 personnel; the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, with 164 personnel; and to the EU led operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, EUFOR, with 59 personnel. Other personnel are serving as monitors and observers with the United Nations, UN, the European Union, EU, and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE. Staff are also deployed at the organisational headquarters of the UN, EU, OSCE and NATO.

A contingent of the Permanent Defence Force was deployed for service with UNMIL in December 2003, comprising a motorised infantry battalion of 430 personnel. The main Irish contingent operates as the force commander's rapid reaction reserve. The role of the Irish personnel is the provision of an immediate response capability, deployable in sufficient strength and with the required level of force, to provide a swift and decisive military reaction in any crisis situation. The contingent undertakes regular daily patrols within Monrovia and is available to the force commander to provide support in the event of a breakdown of law and order or further conflict. Ireland will complete its participation in UNMIL in May 2007 and the 96th Infantry Battalion, which is currently being deployed to UNMIL, will be the final Defence Forces deployment to the mission.

KFOR was established in June 1999 to support the maintenance of civil law and order within Kosovo so as to develop a climate of safety and security, which will enable the transfer of increased responsibility to the civil authorities. Ireland has participated in KFOR since August 1999. The Irish contingent currently comprises an APC mounted infantry group of 211 personnel, including a number of personnel in staff posts at various KFOR headquarters. Having regard to the fragility of the peace in Kosovo and subject to ongoing assessments of the position on the ground, Ireland has decided to maintain a continued presence in KFOR in 2006-07. Ireland will take on the role of framework nation for the multinational task force in which it participates in August 2006 for a period of 12 months.

Operation Althea, EUFOR, is an EU military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ireland has participated in SFOR since 1997 and has 59 troops stationed in the region as part of an Austrian-led multinational task force. We provide personnel for the headquarters, military police unit, verification teams and a national support element. Ireland currently acts as the framework nation for the military police platoon. Discussions on down-sizing this mission, which is expected to commence early next year, are ongoing at EU level. I have discussed the position in Lebanon.

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