Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 16 together.

The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF, was established on 31 May 1974 by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 350, 1974, following the agreed disengagement of the Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights in May 1974. UNDOF was established to: maintain the ceasefire between Israel and Syria; supervise the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces; and supervise the areas of separation and limitation, as provided in the May 1974 agreement on disengagement. Since 1974, the mandate of UNDOF has been renewed every six months, most recently in December 2016.

A contingent of the Permanent Defence Force has been deployed to UNDOF on the Golan Heights since 2013. The contingent operates as a quick-reaction force. Irish personnel are rotated on a six-monthly basis. The next contingent, the 55th Infantry Group, will deploy to UNDOF in early April 2017. I attended their review in the Curragh last Friday.

I had the great privilege of visiting Irish personnel based in the Middle East earlier this month. The main purpose of my visit was to meet with members of the Permanent Defence Force serving with UNDOF, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, and the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, UNTSO, missions and to attend St. Patrick's Day events in the region as part of Ireland's overall economic, political and security engagement in the region. During my visit to UNDOF, I met head of mission and force commander, Major General Shanker Menon of India. He briefed me on the situation and the challenges facing the mission area.

Arising from events in the area of separation, in September 2014 UNDOF relocated temporarily from a number of positions. Pending the full return of UNDOF to the area of separation, UNDOF has continued to maintain credible presence in the Golan in line with its mandate. On 14 November 2016, UNDOF completed the initial phase of the incremental return of the mission to Camp Faouar on the Syrian side of the area of separation, where Fijian and Nepalese troops are now based. In this context, UNDOF continues to engage with the parties on practical arrangements to allow the force to continue to maintain the ceasefire, monitor, verify and report on violations of the disengagement of forces agreement and exercise its critical liaison functions with the parties in order to implement its mandate.

In a recent report on UNDOF, the UN Secretary-General has stated that the continued presence of the force in the area remains essential. Both Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic have stated their continued commitment to the disengagement of forces agreement and the presence of UNDOF. The presence of the UNDOF mission remains an important element in ensuring the continuing ceasefire between Israel and Syria.

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