Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 7: To ask the Minister for Defence the total number of personnel currently serving abroad; the location at which they are serving; the total amount spent on foreign missions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14167/12]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for Defence the countries around the world to which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed; the total number of Defence Forces personnel who are currently deployed around the world; if he will outline each mission in which members of the Defence Forces are deployed; if he will report on any upcoming missions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14026/12]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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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.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I take this opportunity to acknowledge the good work being carried out by the men and women of the Defence Forces in their various peace-keeping missions abroad. These people are great ambassadors for our country through the work they are doing and the work that has been done by those who went before them on the first peace-keeping missions decades ago.

Is there a danger any of our overseas missions will be downgraded? There appears to be capacity in the Defence Forces for another UN mission if available. International pressure should be brought on the UN to intervene in Syria and if the triple-lock requirement is met, we would have the capacity to send peace-keeping troops to a country in great need of an international peace-keeping force. People there are being massacred by the hour.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Troy is right judging by what we see in the media every day. The number of deaths is appalling and civilians are suffering significant casualties. It is not the UN that is the problem. The problem lies with two countries, Russia and China because they have not consented to a UN security resolution. In the absence of the resolution, we cannot send forces to Syria. To attempt to do so, would be an invasion of that country and we cannot do that. What we are doing is investing over €500,000 in humanitarian aid through the Red Cross and other agencies. This is very important and is the area on which we must focus at this time.

In response to a request from the EUTM mission commander, this week the Government approved the deployment of three additional members of the Permanent Defence Forces for service in Somalia. Also, Ireland has received an invitation from the operational commander of operation EUNAVFOR Atalanta to contribute an autonomous vessel protection detachment, AVPD, for the operation. The Department is considering whether it will be in a position to contribute an AVPD to this operation. Apart from these request, no other requests are being considered at this time.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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With regard to personnel serving abroad, I would like to put a question the Minister of State may have forgotten to answer previously. Is the Government concerned about the safety of Irish personnel in Afghanistan, particularly given the current climate there? Aside from the 16 civilians, including nine children, killed this week, last month US troops were caught burning copies of the Koran. US marines have also been found to have been urinating on Afghani corpses and last year members of a US unit were convicted of killing Afghani civilians for entertainment. At present, British soldiers are on trial for filming their abuse of Afghani children. Also, US Wikileaks files record 21 separate incidents of British troops shooting dead or bombing Afghani civilians. The climate is getting terrible. If my son was over there I would be very worried about him.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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The key point is that our seven personnel are not involved in combat. They serve in the headquarters where they provide services and information relating to the improvised explosive devices. All our army personnel are professional soldiers. They are military personnel and are effectively equipped to deal with their jobs as soldiers in whatever capacity they serve. Notwithstanding whatever else happens, any soldiers serving overseas on behalf of the Irish nation are not sent willy nilly. They are sent on UN mandated peace missions. Our soldiers in Afghanistan are not attacking anyone. They are keeping the peace.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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There is no logical reason for them to be there.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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What percentage of costs are recouped? Are they recouped on a yearly basis or at the end of every mission?

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I will be happy to get that information for the Deputy but I do not have it with me. That is an important question. I am quite sure I can get the answer for the Deputy.