Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 20 together.

Ireland has offered, through the United Nations standby arrangements system, UNSAS, to provide up to 850 military personnel for overseas service at any one time. This demonstrates Ireland's commitment to the cause of international peace. This is the maximum sustainable commitment that Ireland can make to overseas peacekeeping operations. Ireland is currently contributing 526 Defence Forces personnel to 11 different missions throughout the world. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas will be listed in the following tabular statement.

The main overseas missions, in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed, are the United Nations interim force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, with 455 personnel, the NATO-led international security presence, KFOR, in Kosovo with 12 personnel, the EU training mission, EUTM, Somalia with seven personnel, the EU-led operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with seven personnel, and the NATO-led international security assistance force, ISAF, in Afghanistan with seven personnel. Participation by the Defence Forces in these missions is subject to annual review by the Government and ongoing review by the Minister for Defence. As regards participation in UNIFIL, which is our largest mission, Ireland's participation is expected to continue for three to four years. The net additional costs to the Exchequer for the UNIFIL mission in 2011, taking account of UN reimbursements and cost reduction initiatives on other deployments amounts to approximately €5 million.

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