Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

Medals are awarded to members of the Defence Forces on the basis of various criteria, including length of service, service overseas and for acts of bravery associated with such service at home and overseas. Members who serve overseas on UN missions or UN mandated missions, subject to certain criteria, are eligible for the award of the United Nations peacekeepers medal. This medal is awarded only once to an individual, irrespective of the number of overseas missions completed during his or her career.

In addition to the peacekeepers medal, a member who serves overseas may also be eligible for the award of a mission-specific medal by the international organisation responsible for the mission. Accordingly, in this instance, qualifying personnel currently deployed to Chad as part of the EUFOR Chad/Central African Republic, CAR, mission were awarded European Security Defence Policy, ESDP, EUFOR service medals prior to being, to use the term, "rehatted" to the United Nations MINURCAT mission on 15 March 2009.

The qualifying criterion for the award of a UN MINURCAT medal is at least 90 days service in the theatre. Consequently, personnel returning in May will not be eligible for the award of this medal. However, it must always be borne in mind that the medals are awarded not by the Irish Defence Forces but by the international organisation in question. Furthermore, owing to the importance placed on the award of medals and in order to preserve the sense of value and entitlement attached to same, it is policy that only one service medal per tour of duty is recognised.

Personnel deployed to Chad beyond 15 March 2009 or, those personnel who were ineligible for an ESDP EUFOR service medal, will be eligible for the award of a UN MINURCAT mission medal provided they meet the qualifying criteria as set down by the UN, namely, at least 90 days service.

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