Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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30. To ask the Minister for Defence if he will report on his recent meeting with the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25112/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I welcomed the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to the Defence Forces Training Centre, Curragh Camp, Co Kildare on 25th May 2015, the second day of his visit to Ireland. Our meeting provided an opportunity to restate Ireland’s continued commitment to the pursuit of international peace and security. Ireland is extremely proud of its long tradition of participating in UN and UN mandated peacekeeping missions with this year marking the 60th anniversary of Ireland’s membership of the UN.

In addition, during the course of our meeting we discussed a range of issues. These included current issues. It also included important issues for the UN such as gender based violence. I briefed the Secretary General on progress in relation to Ireland’s initiative to support peacekeeper training in a number of partner African countries under the African Peacekeeping Rapid Response Partnership.

While in the Curragh, the UN Secretary-General also paid a visit to the United Nations Training School Ireland (UNTSI). The centre draws on the wide range of experience gained by Irish peacekeeping soldiers on many missions world-wide. UNTSI hosts a number of programmes which are also open to international students and to date some fifty-six countries, representing all continents, have attended courses at the centre.

Prior to his departure from the Defence Forces Training Centre, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon planted a tree to mark the 60th Anniversary of Ireland’s membership of the United Nations.