Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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136. To ask the Minister for Defence if he is satisfied with the operation of the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan; and the basis upon which he will decide whether to continue the involvement of the Defence Forces in this mission. [11614/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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On 9 December 2014, the Government approved the participation of seven members of the Defence Forces in the new NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, which commenced on 1 January 2015, following the withdrawal of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission from Afghanistan.

Resolute Support Mission is a non-combat training and advisory mission. It is designed to support and develop the capacity of the Afghan National Defence Forces to ensure the security of the Afghan population and its national Governmental institutions following the withdrawal of the ISAF mission.

The United Nations Security Council welcomed the Resolute Support Mission with the unanimous adoption on 12 December 2014 of Resolution 2189. This Resolution underscores the importance of continued international support for the stability of Afghanistan.

The seven (7) Defence Forces personnel who were deployed to the ISAF mission were reassigned to the new Resolute Support Mission on 1 January 2015. They are based in the mission headquarters in Kabul. These personnel are employed in training and advisory roles in Operations, Training and Support appointments. The work being carried out by the Defence Forces personnel represents an important contribution to this new mission.

Participation in overseas missions is subject to ongoing review. Any decision in relation to continued participation in the mission beyond December 2015 will be taken in the context of the situation pertaining at the time and will be subject to Government approval.