Written answers

Wednesday, 26 November 2008

Department of Defence

Overseas Missions

10:00 pm

Photo of Charlie O'ConnorCharlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 115: To ask the Minister for Defence if a decision has been made as to the future participation by Ireland in the KFOR, EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina; if it is intended to keep Irish troops there in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42732/08]

Photo of Willie O'DeaWillie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland has participated in EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina since December 2004, the successor mission to the Stabilisation force (SFOR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina with which Ireland had previously been serving since 1997. EUFOR was established under the authority of the UN Security Council Resolution 1575 of 22 November, 2004. The Irish contingent with EUFOR currently comprises 44 personnel. The role of the Defence Forces personnel currently serving in EUFOR is to provide personnel for the headquarters, the Military Police Unit, Verification Teams and the National Support Element. All Irish personnel are located at Camp Butmir, Sarajevo. The current security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is considered to be stable with the focus of the international community now firmly focused on progressing the political situation.

Discussions regarding the closure of the Office of the High Representative, which was put in place under the Dayton accord, and the subsequent transition to the Office of the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) are ongoing, with a decision now due in February 2009. Once this decision is made, it is anticipated that Operation ALTHEA will change, from its current configuration of 2,500 troops, to a support and training operation, which will involve some 200, mainly military, personnel. It is expected that this change will commence sometime in February/March 2009 and take approximately six (6) months to complete. Consequently, there will be no change in the Althea configuration, or Ireland's contribution to it, until June 2009 at the earliest. No decision has been made on Ireland's participation in any new arrangements. Currently, my intention is that we will withdraw our troops when Operation ALTHEA moves to its support and training phase in 2009.

KFOR, the International Security Presence in Kosovo, was established in June 1999, to support the maintenance of civil law and order within Kosovo, so as to develop a climate of safety and security, which will enable the transfer of increased responsibility to the civil authorities. Ireland has participated in KFOR since August 1999. The Irish (39th) Infantry Group currently serves in the Multinational Task Force (Centre). In addition to Ireland, the Task Force also comprises troops from the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Sweden, Finland and Latvia. The Task Force's area of responsibility is generally the Pristina region, covering 7 municipalities with a population of approximately 1 million.

The Irish contingent currently comprises an APC Mounted Infantry Group of some 233 personnel, including a number of personnel in staff posts at various KFOR Headquarters. At this stage, there are no plans to reduce the number of Irish Defence Forces personnel currently serving with KFOR.

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