Written answers
Thursday, 16 January 2014
Department of Defence
Overseas Missions
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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267. To ask the Minister for Defence the number of overseas missions at present that involve military personnel; the number of these under the auspices of the UN; the location of each mission; the number of these that involve the EU or NATO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1994/14]
Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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As of 01 January 2014, Ireland is contributing approximately 412 Defence Forces personnel to 14 different missions throughout the world. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas are listed in the tabular statement attached.
The main overseas missions in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed are the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with 209 personnel, including the Deputy Force Commander, and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) with 118 Defence Forces personnel including four (4) personnel at the Mission Headquarters at Camp Faouar on the Golan Heights in Syria.
Other missions in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed are the EU Training Mission (EUTM) Somalia with seven (7) personnel, including the Mission Commander; the EU Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali) with eight (8) personnel; the EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina with seven (7) personnel who are based at mission headquarters in Sarajevo; the NATO-led international security presence (KFOR) in Kosovo with twelve (12) personnel based in the mission Headquarters; and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan with seven (7) personnel who are based in the mission Headquarters in Kabul and four (4) personnel deployed for service with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in South Sudan. Ireland also contributes 25 observers and staff to various United Nations and OSCE missions and 15 other personnel to staff appointments at UN, EU and OSCE headquarters.
The current contribution of some 412 personnel to overseas missions reflects the Government’s continued commitment to our responsibilities in the area of international peace and security.
MEMBERS OF THE PERMANENT DEFENCE FORCE SERVING OVERSEAS AS OF 01 JANUARY 2014
| 1. | UN MISSIONS | |
|---|---|---|
| UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) HQ | 16 | |
| UNIFIL 43rd Infantry Group | 185 | |
| UNIFIL Sector West HQ | 8 | |
| UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation ) Israel & Syria | 13 | |
| MINURSO (United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara) | 3 | |
| MONUSCO (United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) | 4 | |
| UNOCI (United Nations Mission in Ivory Coast) | 2 | |
| UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force) Golan Heights Syria | 118 | |
| UNMAS (United Nations Mine Action Service ) South Sudan | 4 | |
| TOTAL | 353 | |
| UN MANDATED MISSIONS | ||
| EUFOR (EU led Operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina) | 7 | |
| EUTM Somalia (EU led Training Mission) | 7 | |
| EUTM Mali (EU led Training Mission) | 8 | |
| KFOR (International Security Presence in Kosovo) HQ | 12 | |
| ISAF (International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan) | 7 | |
| TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING WITH UN MISSIONS | 394 | |
| 2. | ORGANISATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE (OSCE) | |
| OSCE Mission to Bosnia & Herzegovina | 2 | |
| OSCE Mission in Belgrade – Serbia | 1 | |
| Staff Officer, High Level Planning Group Vienna | 1 | |
| TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING OSCE | 4 | |
| 3. | EU MILITARY STAFF | |
| Brussels | 5 | |
| 4. | MILITARY REPRESENTATIVES/ADVISERS/STAFF | |
| Military Adviser, Permanent Mission to UN, New York | 1 | |
| Military Adviser Irish delegation to OSCE, Vienna | 1 | |
| Military Representative to EU (Brussels) | 3 | |
| Liaison Office of Ireland, NATO/PfP (Brussels) | 2 | |
| EU OHQ Operation Althea, Mons, Belgium | 1 | |
| Irish Liaison Officer to SHAPE & Military Co-Op Division, Mons, Belgium | 1 | |
| TOTAL NUMBER OF DEFENCE FORCES PERSONNEL SERVING OVERSEAS | 412 |
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