Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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24. To ask the Minister for Defence the position regarding the small number of Irish troops based in Afghanistan; and the timeframe they will be based there. [43268/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has participated in the NATO–led UN mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan since 5 July 2002. The Government has reviewed and approved, on an annual basis, the continued participation of the Permanent Defence Force in ISAF. The re are currently seven (7) personnel serving with the force and they are all located in ISAF HQ, Kabul and work in staff appointments in planning and administrative roles. The overall drawdown of ISAF personnel is currently underway and the withdrawal of the Defence Forces personnel will be coordinated in this context. Irish personnel will complete their service with the mission in December 2014.

The proposed NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, post 2014, will be a follow on training advisory and assistance mission in support of the Afghan National Security Forces capacity building . The question of Ireland contributing to the follow on mission in Afghanistan is currently being considered in the context of what other contributing countries are planning. Any participation by Ireland in the follow on training mission will be subject to Government approval.