Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 5 together.

UNIFIL was originally established on 19 March 1978 under United Nations Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426, following the invasion of Lebanon by Israel. Its mandate was "to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces, to restore international peace and security and to assist the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area". The Secretary General of the United Nations concluded that as of 16 June 2000, Israel had withdrawn its forces from Lebanon in accordance with Resolution 425 of 1978, thus partially fulfilling UNIFIL's original mandate. Since then, UNIFIL continued to operate in southern Lebanon, focusing on the remaining part of its mandate, which was the restoration of peace and security in the region.

In response to the July-August 2006 crisis, the UN decided, under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, to extend the mandate of UNIFIL to the end of August 2007 and to increase its troop strength from approximately 2,000 troops, to a maximum of 15,000. The Council also decided that, in addition to carrying out its original mandate, UNIFIL would also monitor the cessation of hostilities, accompany and support the Lebanese armed forces as they deploy throughout Southern Lebanon and extend its assistance to help ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations and the voluntary and safe return of displaced persons.

The nature of the expanded UNIFIL mandate is such that its role is to be considerably more robust than it was prior to the adoption of Resolution 1701, while still operating under Chapter VI of the UN Charter.

At the time of the crisis, Ireland had five Defence Forces personnel deployed at the force headquarters in Naquora. These personnel are still in place. However, in response to the expanded mandate for the mission and a request from the UN, the Government with Dáil approval, increased Ireland's contribution to some 162 personnel. The additional contribution is part of a joint Finnish-Irish engineering battalion which carries out tasks in support of UNIFIL, including dealing with unexploded ordnance clearance and reconstruction. Ireland provides the security detail for the engineering contingent from Finland. While the Irish element is tasked primarily for reconnaissance, security and protection duties associated with these engineering works, it is also available to undertake other tasks at the request of the UNIFIL force commander. Initial deployment will be for one year, subject to renewal of the mandate and a satisfactory review of the mission at that time.

A key aspect and the primary concern in respect of participation in any mission is the safety and security of Defence Forces personnel. Prior to deployment, the Defence Forces undertook a joint reconnaissance mission with their Finnish colleagues. Following consultation with the Finns, UNIFIL and other parties, it was determined that there is no direct threat to UNIFIL personnel. That said, the uncertain and volatile situation means that incidents, misunderstandings or wider political developments all have the potential to impact negatively on the peacekeeping operation. The large quantity of cluster-bomblets and other unexploded ordnance also presents a risk. While there have been political difficulties and some civil unrest in the country recently, the ceasefire in southern Lebanon seems to be holding and the Defence Forces have assessed the overall threat as being low within a volatile situation. This is not dissimilar to that encountered by Irish personnel on other peace support missions. This continues to be the assessment of the Defence Forces and I am satisfied that all appropriate security measures are in place to ensure the safety of the Defence Forces personnel serving in Lebanon.

For the first few days after the initial deployment on 31 October, pack rations, supplemented with locally purchased breads, fruits and vegetables, as well as additional food items shipped from Ireland, were provided to all personnel. Commencing on 4 November 2006, a hot meal was provided daily from field kitchens. The dining facility in the camp was opened on 6 December 2006, with hot food served at all three meals daily. The Defence Forces have assured me that the food served in this camp is to a high standard and the bill of fare provides a balanced diet of meat, vegetables, potatoes, fruit, pasta, rice and dairy products. As Members will appreciate, this is a new operation in a new camp and it takes time to put in place all the required facilities.

While I had planned to visit the Defence Forces contingent in late November, the Chief of Staff advised me to defer my visit until the new year when the mission was better established and had a more detailed understanding and assessment of the operation and the security situation. I now look forward to visiting the contingent towards the end of this month.

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