James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 124: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the recent requests he has received seeking participation by the Defence Forces in peacekeeping duties.. [1874/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland has long had a strong commitment to participation in peace support operations. Ireland's policy with regard to peacekeeping is grounded in the UN Charter and in the primacy of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security. Irish troops participate in UN-led, EU-led and NATO-led UN-mandated missions, and participation in peace support operations has become a core activity of the Irish Defence Forces.

As the Deputy will be aware, there are currently 425 members of the Irish Defence Forces participating in the EU-led mission, EUFOR Tchad/RCA. EUFOR has made significant progress; however, it is clear that an international presence will continue to be required in the region for some time to come. A UN-led follow-on-force, MINURCAT II, is due to take over from EUFOR when its current mandate expires on 15 March 2009.

In this context, my Department received a request from the United Nations on 10 October 2008, asking that the Government consider placing the troops currently in Chad with EUFOR under the command of the UN after 15 March 2009. The Government has approved, in principle, participation by the Defence Forces in MINURCAT II for a period of twelve months from 15 March 2009. Irish participation in MINURCAT II will, of course, be subject to the "Triple Lock" of UN mandate and Government and Dáil approval. When a final proposal for our deployment has been agreed with the UN, my colleague, the Minister for Defence, Mr. Willie O'Dea T.D., will revert to the Government and the Dáil.

The United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) was established in 1999, and consists of 17,000 troops from 20 different countries. Since June 2001, three Irish Defence Forces officers have been deployed to this mission as Military Liaison Officers. My Department received a request from the United Nations on 20 November 2008 asking the Government to contribute further troops to the mission. On 15 December the Department of Defence informed my Department that the Defence Forces were not in a position to contribute further personnel to the mission. My Department also receives, on a regular basis, requests from the UN to provide individual officers to various peacekeeping missions. These requests are dealt with by the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces on a case-by-case basis.