Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Defence the effect that his proposal to reduce the number of officers on overseas missions will have on the Defence Forces commitments to UN peacekeeping. [38086/05]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Defence the reason for his decision to propose that the number of officers on overseas missions be reduced. [38101/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 67: To ask the Minister for Defence the basis on which he has come to the conclusion that too many of the officer corps of the Permanent Defence Force are posted overseas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38211/05]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 69: To ask the Minister for Defence the way in which he intends to redeploy the officers he plans to withdraw from overseas missions. [38097/05]

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 75: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of officers he intends to redeploy or withdraw from overseas missions. [38098/05]

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will expand on his comments at the recent RACO conference in Cavan that the long-term sustainability of the current level of commitment in terms of the number of Irish officers serving in defence missions overseas is open to question; if he is planning a review of the level of commitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38166/05]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 88: To ask the Minister for Defence his views on his recent assertion that the number of Defence Forces officers serving overseas is unsustainable in view of the Defence Forces domestic commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38204/05]

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 102: To ask the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to statements by a spokesman for RACO (details supplied) that there is no need to cut the number of officers serving abroad; if he accepts the view that tighter management here, including more centralised training, would improve the overall management of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38167/05]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 104: To ask the Minister for Defence the impact on overseas missions of his plans to reduce the number of officers available. [38100/05]

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Defence the overseas missions he intends to withdraw officers from, and the reason therefor. [38099/05]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will make a statement on the impact of his plans to reduce the number of officers on overseas peacekeeping missions on the State's commitments to the UN. [38094/05]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 117: To ask the Minister for Defence his plans in relation to changes to the number of Irish officers serving on overseas missions. [38096/05]

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 63, 65, 67, 69, 75, 87, 88, 102, 104, 114, 116 and 117 together.

At present Ireland subscribes to the United Nations Standby Arrangements System, UNSAS, under which the State offers to provide up to 850 personnel on overseas service at any given time. Ireland's commitment under the UNSAS represents 10% of the total Army strength. This is the maximum sustainable commitment that Ireland can make to overseas peacekeeping operations. This overall commitment is not being reviewed.

Ireland's peacekeeping activity has now grown to the point where over 140 officers are serving overseas. While this is a laudable contribution on the international stage the Minister has stated that the long-term sustainability of such a level of commitment is open to question.

The Minister, in addressing the conference, indicated that the proportion of officers within the overall UNSAS commitment of 850 would be reviewed in order to ensure that we balance our obligations to Ireland's foreign policy with our obligation to the other roles of a well-managed Defence Forces. I can assure the Deputies that any rebalancing of ranks within the overall 850 will not reduce the effectiveness of the Defence Forces contribution to Ireland's foreign policy or international peacekeeping.