Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to address the Seanad on this issue. If Members on all sides have one thing in common, it is respect for the Irish Defence Forces.

Since 1974 the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF, has successfully supervised the implementation of the disengagement agreement, maintaining an area of separation between the Israeli and Syrian forces which is over 75 km long. UNDOF has been a successful mission in supporting the efforts of the international community both in the Golan Heights region of Syria and in the in the broader Middle East region.

Since September 2013, an Irish infantry group comprising 130 personnel has been deployed to the UNDOF mission and acts as a force reserve company. Its role includes the provision of a quick reaction force which is on standby to assist with ongoing operations within the UNDOF area of responsibility.

The escalation of the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic has affected the UNDOF area of operations significantly in recent months. The armed forces of the Syrian Arab Republic have deployed and carried out military activities and security operations in the UNDOF area of operations. These activities are in violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement. Also, numerous clashes have taken place between Syrian security forces and armed members of the opposition in the area of separation.

Since 27 August, and in response to the hostilities, the Irish force reserve company has dealt with several incidents as requested by the Force Commander of UNDOF. On 29 August and in a follow-up operation, the force reserve company assisted in the safe extraction of 58 members of the Philippine battalion. Also, on 30 August Irish soldiers extracted 35 Filipino troops from a position surrounded by rebels. The 45 Fijian peacekeepers who were detained by armed elements in late August were released unharmed on 11 September.

Given the evolving security situation, the mission has continued to reconfigure its operations with a view to ensuring the safety of personnel while continuing to implement the mission's mandate. There has been a fundamental realignment of the UNDOF mission in the past fortnight, reflecting the situation on the ground. The headquarters of UNDOF, including the Irish contingent, has been relocated to Camp Ziouani on the Israeli side of the area of separation.

Although Ireland remains committed to the mission, the Minister for Defence, Deputy Simon Coveney, recently requested that the UN fundamentally review the capacity of the mission to fulfil its mandate in light of the ongoing civil war in Syria. He personally discussed the review with the under-secretary general in the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The UN Security Council was briefed on the mission in detail on 17 September by the UN Secretary General. On 19 September, the Presidency of the UN Security Council issued a statement reaffirming the Council's unconditional support for the UNDOF mission. The Minister for Defence and I support the Security Council's call to Israel and Syria to remain committed to the terms of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and to scrupulously observe the ceasefire and the separation of forces. The Minister for Defence and I join with the Security Council in condemning recent hostile acts against UN peacekeepers in UNDOF's area of operation. We call on all parties to allow UNDOF to operate freely and ensure full security of its personnel. There can never be any justification for attacks on or the detention of UN peacekeepers.

While the Minister for Defence agrees with the President of the Security Council that the goal must be for the peacekeepers to return to their positions in UNDOF's area of operations as soon as possible, the Minister is of the view that it is important at this time to restructure the mission, relocating most of the UNDOF force on the Israeli side of the area of separation in order to minimise the unacceptable risks to peacekeepers. The Minister for Defence and I welcome the fact that the UN Secretary General will report back to the Security Council around mid-October on the steps required to maintain UNDOF's capacity to discharge its mandate.

I would like to commend the recent efforts of the Irish 44th Infantry Group in its role as UNDOF's quick reaction force in discharging its duties effectively. The Government, the Minister for Defence and I place high importance on the valuable work being done by the Defence Forces in the challenging operating conditions they face in the region and in other missions throughout the world.

Given the strong and unconditional endorsement of the mission by the UN Security Council, including the capabilities provided by Ireland, last month the Minister for Defence recommended to the Government that the Irish Defence Forces continue to participate in the mission. The Irish contribution to UNDOF is an important element of the force, which plays a vital role in ensuring stability in the Golan Heights and in the region.

While we were awaiting a response from the United Nations, the deployment of the 46th Infantry Group to the UNDOF mission was delayed. That rotation is now complete. An advance party of Defence Forces personnel deployed to UNDOF on Wednesday, 1 October, while the main contingent followed yesterday, 7 October.

In conclusion, I welcome the comments made by all the Members who have spoken thus far. I can assure the House that participation in UNDOF will kept under review.

The position regarding the Filipino forces is a matter for their government, just as a matter concerning the Irish Army or Defence Forces is a matter for the Irish Government. I can assure everyone that we will keep the matter under constant review and that all intelligence we get will be treated in a very sensitive way. Any decisions that the Government makes will be based on details and intelligence received from all sides.

Last night Senator Mooney talked about the return of the Filipino soldiers. When soldiers return it is a special occasion for the returning personnel and their families, so we did not want to have a jamboree-like party for them. It is very important that they were reunited with their families, because returning from a tour of duty is a special time in their lives. The personnel are partners, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, and so on.

Senator Whelan mentioned support, and I can assure him that there will be supports provided for personnel who return. I recognise that it can be quite difficult for personnel who have served on any form of mission to return home and all of a sudden find themselves in the day-to-day running of a family home. For the previous three to six months they would have had a daily routine, but now they must adjust to living with their families and everything else involved. Adjusting can be quite difficult at times. Having spoken to personnel who have served abroad, I know that fitting back into family life can be quite difficult. I can assure the Senator that both the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces in general will give all help and support possible to members who return.

There is constant dialogue between all the aid agencies and the Irish Defence Forces. There is no specific agency serving in the Golan Heights, but there are agencies in the Middle East generally. I can assure the Senator that the Irish Defence Forces have a constant dialogue with all agencies. It is important that their safety is constantly kept under review and that there is constant dialogue, because the Irish Defence Forces can learn from the aid agencies that operate on the ground.

On behalf of the Minister for Defence and on my own behalf, I wish each and every member of the 46th Infantry Group, under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Harrington, a safe and successful mission, and I hope they will return safely to Ireland when they have completed their mission.