Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 19: To ask the Minister for Defence if reports that a computer or some computer equipment was stolen from Irish personnel serving on a UN mission are accurate; if so, the type of material which was contained on the computer; the circumstances of the theft; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23975/06]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 24: To ask the Minister for Defence the circumstances in which a laptop computer was stolen from Irish Army officers engaged in gathering intelligence in eastern Europe; the UN mandate under which the Army officers operated; the purpose of the intelligence gathering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23797/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 24 together.

A computer and security card, which were the subject of a recent article in the print media, were stolen from a member of the Permanent Defence Force, who was serving with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) monitoring mission in Georgia in April 2004. The computer was taken from the officer's apartment together with a number of personal items in the city of Tbilisi. The computer did not contain material of a classified nature.

The OSCE mission in Georgia was established in December 1992 in response to armed conflicts in the country. The mission assists the Government of Georgia in the fields of conflict settlement, democratisation, human rights and the rule of law. Irish Defence Forces personnel have been deployed to the mission since 1994. One officer currently serves with the mission. The nature of the officer's duties, as defined by the OSCE, involve promoting negotiations between the conflicting parties in Georgia, which are aimed at achieving a peaceful political settlement.