Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will list in detail the requests made to his Department from the UN and the OECD and other organisations for Irish civilian participation in delegations, missions, election or meeting of any description; if he will list the number of such requests in 2012; if he will provide the names of those chosen to participate on behalf of this State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6851/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Irish Aid, through its Rapid Response Initiative, has Standby Partnership agreements with four United Nations agencies, OCHA, UNICEF, UNHCR and WFP. This mechanism allows for the deployment, at short notice, of highly skilled experts to support humanitarian operations worldwide. In 2012, members of the Irish Aid Rapid Response Corps deployed on 36 occasions to countries including, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mali, Myanmar, Somalia and South Sudan.

In addition, eight Irish civilian experts were deployed in 2012 to European Union civilian crisis management missions including the EU’s Police Missions in Afghanistan and the occupied Palestinian territory; the EU’s Rule of Law Missions in Kosovo and Iraq; and the EU’s Monitoring Mission in Georgia.

The Government believes that international election monitoring missions have an important role to play in the promotion of human rights and democracy, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade maintains a roster of observers for election monitoring missions. We aim to ensure that, when requested, Ireland is represented at an appropriate level in international observation missions for elections and constitutional referendums. Irish observers participate primarily in missions organised by the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), but have also been involved in missions organised by the Council of Europe, the United Nations and the Carter Centre.

In 2012 observers nominated by Ireland have been involved in missions organised by the EU and OSCE.

In 2012, Ireland was invited by the European Union to nominate observers to participate in election observation missions to Senegal, Algeria, Timor Leste and Sierra Leone. Observers, as listed below, participated in these missions. We also received an invitation in 2012 for two EU election observation missions scheduled to take place in 2013 – Jordan in January 2013 and Kenya in March 2013. Observers listed below took part in the Jordan elections.

In 2012, Ireland was invited by the OSCE/ODIHR to observe elections in Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia, Serbia, Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine. Irish Aid nominated observers, listed below, to participate in these missions. Requests were also received by the OSCE/ODIHR to observe the Early Parliamentary Elections in Montenegro in October 2012 and the General Elections in the UN in November 2012. Ireland did not nominate observers to participate in these missions.

This Department regularly receives requests from the UN and the EU for Irish participation in international crisis management missions. Ten civilian experts were selected by the EU for participation in Common Security and Defence Policy missions and deployed by my Department in response to such requests.

In addition in 2012, six members of An Garda Síochána were chosen for participation in the UN Police Mission in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in response to a request from the UN, while six members were also deployed to EULEX Kosovo and one on the EUMM in Georgia.