Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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285. To ask the Minister for Defence the position regarding Irish troops in Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35647/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In September 2013, a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force was deployed to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) at the request of the United Nations. UNDOF was established on 31 May 1974 under UN Security Council Resolution 350 (1974). The current Defence Forces contingent, the 46th Irish Infantry Group UNDOF, comprises 130 troops and consists of a Force Reserve Company and support elements. Their role includes the provision of a Quick Reaction Force which is on standby to assist with on-going operations within the UNDOF Area of Responsibility.

In addition to the Force Reserve Company, there are eight (8) other Defence Forces personnel based in UNDOF Headquarters, Camp Ziouani, including the Deputy Force Commander Brigadier General Anthony Hanlon, who took up his appointment on 20 September 2014.

Fighting between Syrian Arab Armed Forces and Anti Government Armed Elements has recently escalated in the UNDOF area of responsibility. In August 2014 and in response to the hostilities, the Irish contingent, in its capacity as the Force Reserve Company, dealt with several incidents as requested by the Force Commander UNDOF, including assisting with the safe extraction of members of the Philippine Battalion.

Given events on the ground and at my request the UN undertook a review of the mission, particularly the capacity of the mission to fulfill its mandate in light of the civil war in Syria. Since then there has been a fundamental realignment of the UNDOF mission with a view to minimising unacceptable risks to peacekeepers, while continuing to implement the mission’s mandate. The Headquarters of the UNDOF mission, including the Irish contingent, has now been relocated from Camp Faouar on the Syrian side of the area of separation to Camp Ziouani on the Israeli side of the area of separation. Movement in the area of responsibility is also restricted.

In September 2014, the Presidency of the UN Security Council issued a strong statement, reaffirming the Council’s unconditional support for the UNDOF mission and emphasising the importance of maintaining UNDOF as a vital contributor to peace and security in the Middle East.

On 12 September, the UN Secretary-General reported to the UN Security Council on recent activities in the UNDOF mission area and the mission was further discussed at a meeting of the Security Council on 20 October. The UN continues to review the mission and the UN Secretary-General will provide regular updates on the mission to the Security Council in this regard.