Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 152: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has received further requests for the deployment of Irish troops at overseas locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16116/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland has offered, through the UN Standby Arrangements System (UNSAS), to provide up to 850 military personnel for overseas service at any one time. This figure equates to some 10% of Ireland's standing Army (excluding Reserves) and demonstrates Ireland's commitment to the cause of international peace. Ireland is currently contributing 780 Defence Forces personnel to 13 different missions throughout the world.

The main overseas missions in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed are the UN Mission to Chad and the Central African Republic - MINURCAT - with 420 personnel, the NATO-led International Security presence (KFOR) in Kosovo with 232 personnel and the EU-led operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Operation ALTHEA, with 44 personnel. Ireland also has 27 personnel serving with EUFOR Tchad/RCA in the Operational Headquarters in Paris and Force Headquarters in Chad. A number of personnel are serving as monitors and observers with the United Nations, the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

My Department routinely receives requests from the UN to provide individual officers to various peacekeeping missions. These requests are considered in the first instance by my colleague, the Minister for Defence, on a case-by-case basis. When considering any particular request, a number of factors are taken into account, including the existence of realistic objectives and a clear mandate, which has the potential to contribute to a long-term solution; consideration of how the mission relates to the priorities of Irish foreign policy; and the degree of risk involved.