Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 179: To ask the Minister for Defence the reason no arrangements were made to forward Christmas parcels or presents to the Irish soldiers serving with the UN in Liberia before the Christmas festival; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2553/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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As there is no postal system operating to or within Liberia, the Defence Forces have contracted a commercial courier to deliver Defence Forces post to and from the United Nations Mission in Liberia, UNMIL. This contract is for letter post only and is dispatched through this contract twice weekly — Monday and Thursday — throughout the year.

Parcel post received by the Defence Forces for delivery to Irish personnel serving in UNMIL is forwarded to the mission on resupply flights. Personnel of the 94th Infantry Battalion were deployed to UNMIL in late November 2006. The first resupply flight following their deployment was on 17 January 2006 when parcels received by the Defence Forces, prior to Christmas and up to and including the flight date, were transported to UNMIL. The next such flight has been arranged for 7 February 2006. It is clearly understood by the deployed personnel that parcels can only be delivered on resupply flights and this has been the case since we first deployed to the mission in November 2003.

All personnel deploying to UNMIL are advised verbally and in writing of the postal arrangements prior to their departure to the mission area. These briefings indicate clearly that there is no parcel post service to UNMIL and personnel are advised to inform their families accordingly. The situation will not arise again as we will be completing our participation in the mission in November this year and withdrawing with Sweden, our partners in the quick reaction force.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 180: To ask the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Irish soldiers serving with the UN in Liberia are allowed three weeks holiday during their seven month stint; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that they are required to return here at the beginning of that three week period and are required to pay €500 from their own resources to cover the cost of the return ticket; if, in view of same, his Department will cover the cost of the return flights to Liberia and seek funding from the UN for the cost involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2554/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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A contingent of the Permanent Defence Force has been serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia, UNMIL, since November 2003. Defence personnel serving with the mission are entitled to 21 days annual leave for the duration of their tour of duty, six months. Defence Forces personnel on deployment to UNMIL are free to apply for leave at any time and to any destination, which may be granted subject to operational necessities and the safety of the intended destination. While more or less free to travel anywhere, most personnel opt to return to Ireland on leave.

When the Defence Forces initially deployed to UNMIL, representations were made to my predecessor regarding the excessive costs involved for personnel wishing to go on leave in the course of their tour of duty. The average cost of a return commercial scheduled flight ticket Dublin-Monrovia via Brussels is in excess of €2,000 and involves a 16 hour journey. In response to these representations, arrangements were made by my predecessor to allow personnel serving in UNMIL, wishing to take leave, to avail of aircraft chartered for the deployment, consignment and-or repatriation of personnel, stores and equipment to and from the mission area at a cost of €500 per head, a saving of €1,500 on the commercial alternative.

UNMIL is the only mission where this facility is provided. There is no obligation on personnel serving in UNMIL either to take leave in the course of their tour of duty or to use the facility of the return flights to Ireland. In the normal course, personnel going on leave when deployed on a mission pay their own costs in respect of annual leave flights.

Regarding UN funding for these flights, troop-contributing nations are not entitled to reimbursement by the UN in respect of the provision of flights for personnel going on leave.