Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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112. To ask the Minister for Defence the degree to which he expects the Army, Navy and Air Corps to continue to participate in overseas missions in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35129/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As of 01 October 2015, Ireland is contributing 494 Defence Forces personnel to 12 different missions throughout the world. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas are listed in the following tabular statement. The main overseas missions, in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed, are the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with 195 personnel, the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) with 153 personnel, the Naval Service Humanitarian Mission in the Mediterranean with 60 personnel, the NATO-led International Security presence (KFOR) in Kosovo with 12 personnel, the EU-led operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 7 personnel, the EU-led Training Mission in Mali with 10 personnel and the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan with 7 personnel. Ten (10) personnel are serving at the headquarters of the German-led Battle Group 2016. Other personnel are serving as monitors and observers with several United Nations missions.

With regard to any future deployments of Defence Forces personnel overseas, Ireland receives requests, from time to time, in relation to participation in various missions and these are considered on a case-by-case basis. When considering any particular request, the existence of realistic objectives and a clear mandate, which has the potential to contribute to a political solution, consideration of how the mission relates to the priorities of Irish foreign policy and the degree of risk involved are amongst the factors considered. Due to Ireland’s own current level of commitment in overseas peacekeeping operations, notably to the United Nations Disengagement Force in Syria, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and the Naval Service Humanitarian Mission in the Mediterranean, we are not in a position to make any significant commitment to other missions at this time.

The current contribution of some 494 personnel to overseas missions reflects the Government’s continued commitment to our responsibilities in the area of international peace and security.

Members of the Permanent Defence Force Serving Overseas As of 1stOctober 2015

1. UN MISSIONS

(i) UNIFIL(United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) HQ9

UNIFIL 49thInfantry Group182

UNIFILSector West HQ4

(ii) UNTSO(United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation) Israel & Syria13

(iii) MINURSO(United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara)3

(iv) MONUSCO(United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic4

Republic of the Congo)

(v) UNOCI(United Nations Mission in Ivory Coast) 2

(vi) UNDOF(United Nations Disengagement Observer Force) HQ,8

Golan Heights, Syria

UNDOF 48thInfantry Group145

TOTAL 370

UN MANDATED MISSIONS

(vii) EUFOR(EU-led Operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina)7

(viii) EUTM Mali(EU-Led Training Mission)10

(ix) KFOR(International Security Presence in Kosovo ) HQ12

(x) RSM(Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan) 7

TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING WITH UN MISSIONS406

2. OTHER DEPLOYMENTS

Naval Service Humanitarian Mission in Mediterranean L.É. Samuel Beckett60

TOTAL NUMBER 60

3. ORGANISATION FOR SECURITY AND CO-OPERATION IN EUROPE (OSCE)

(i) OSCE Mission to Bosnia & Herzegovina 2

(ii) Staff Officer, High Level Planning Group, Vienna 1

TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING WITH OSCE 3

4. EU MILITARY STAFF

Brussels 5

5. EU BATTLE GROUP

German-led Battle Group 2016 HQ Strasbourg 10

6. MILITARY REPRESENTATIVES/ADVISERS/STAFF

(i) Military Adviser, Permanent Mission to UN, New York 1

(ii) Military Adviser, Irish Delegation to OSCE, Vienna 1

(iii) Military Representative to EU (Brussels) 4

(iv) Liaison Officer of Ireland, NATO /PfP (Brussels)2

(v) EU OHQ Operation Althea, Mons, Belgium 1

(vi) Irish Liaison Officer to SHAPE & Military Co-Op Division, Mons, Belgium 1

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEFENCE FORCES PERSONNEL SERVING OVERSEAS 494