Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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197. To ask the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 132 of 25 March 2014, if the expansion of the number of Defence Forces personnel deployed to EUTM Somalia was exclusively linked to Ireland having the appointment of mission commander; and if he will confirm that all Defence Forces personnel will leave the EUTM Somalia mission in April 2014. [15766/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has been serving with the EU Training Mission in Somalia (EUTM Somalia) since April 2010. Recently the number of Defence Forces personnel deployed to EUTM Somalia was reduced from eleven (11) to six (6), as a result of the drawdown of Defence Forces personnel associated with Ireland having held the post of Mission Commander (2 personnel) and completion of the training phase of the mission in Uganda, to which Ireland contributed a training team of three (3) personnel. On 22 January 2013, the Council of the European Union extended the mandate of EUTM Somalia to March 2015. This third mandate implied a significant change of focus for the Mission with the addition of strategic advisory and mentoring activities in addition to training. The specific training as offered by Irish Defence Forces personnel was no longer required under the new mission mandate.

Given Ireland's commitment to this mission to-date, Government approval was granted in February 2014 to retain the Defence Forces personnel in their current appointments until the end of their respective individual six month tour of duty. Last month, two (2) Irish personnel completed their respective tours of duty with the mission bringing the total now serving with the mission to four (4). Ireland's contribution to this mission will end on the 13th April 2014.