Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

As stated earlier, Ireland is contributing 524 Defence Forces personnel to 11 missions throughout the world. The main overseas missions, in which Defence Forces personnel are deployed, are the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, with 454 personnel, and the NATO-led international security presence, KFOR, in Kosovo, with 12 personnel. Other personnel are serving as monitors and observers with the United Nations and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE. Personnel are also deployed at the organisational headquarters of the European Union, the OSCE and NATO.

Ireland recently participated in the Nordic Battlegroup which was on stand-by from 1 January to 30 June. The other countries contributing to the battlegroup were Sweden, acting as the framework nation, Finland, Norway and Estonia. Our contribution was a reconnaissance company, together with staff posts at both the operational and force headquarters amounting to approximately 150 personnel.

Ireland is committed to participation in the Austro-German-led battlegroup which will be on stand-by for the second six months of 2012. Other contributors to that battlegroup are Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Ireland's contribution to the battlegroup will again be a reconnaissance company.

The total of 524 Defence Forces personnel serving overseas represents a significant contribution to international peacekeeping operations and the obligations Ireland has assumed through its membership of the United Nations. The recent deployment to UNIFIL has significantly increased the number of troops serving overseas, compared to the numbers serving in more recent times.

For the information of the House, I will be attending an informal meeting of EU Ministers for Defence which will be held in Wroclaw, Poland both tomorrow and Friday. For part of the day tomorrow I will also be attending a meeting of European Justice Ministers which is taking place in Brussels. On leaving Poland I will return to Brussels for the completion of that meeting. At this meeting I will have the opportunity to have discussions with the other EU Ministers for Defence and the operation and mission commanders of the main EU operations, including Colonel Michael Beary of the Irish Defence Forces. As mentioned earlier, Colonel Beary became mission commander of EUTM Somalia on 9 August - the European Union's mission to train Somali security forces in Uganda. Seven members of the Defence Forces are serving with this mission. The fact that Colonel Beary was named as mission commander is a clear illustration of the high esteem with which the Defence Forces are held at United Nations level. In advance of him being so appointed, I was engaged in discussions on the appointment being made at the request of the United Nations.

In addition, the Department constantly reviews the deployment of Defence Forces personnel overseas. However, following the deployment to UNIFIL and given the current straitened financial circumstances, it is not anticipated that there will be any major similar deployments in the foreseeable future.

See this speech in context