Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As of 1 December 2015, Ireland is contributing 493 Defence Forces personnel to 12 different missions throughout the world.

The main overseas missions in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed are the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with 198 personnel, the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Syria with 149 personnel, and the Naval Service humanitarian mission in the Mediterranean with 59 personnel. L.É. Samuel Beckett will return home today, 17 December 2015.

Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas are as follows:

Members of the Permanent Defence Force Serving Overseas

As of 1^stDecember 2015

1. UN MISSIONS

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

UNIFIL51^stInfantry Group 185

UNIFILSector West HQ4

(ii) UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation) Israel and 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

UNDOF50^thInfantry Group 141

TOTAL 369

UN MANDATED MISSIONS

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

(viii) EUTM Mali(EU-Led Training Mission)9

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

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

TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING WITH UN MISSIONS404

2. OTHER DEPLOYMENTS

Naval Service in Mediterranean L.É. Samuel Beckett59

TOTAL NUMBER 59

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

(i)OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina1

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

TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING WITH OSCE 2

4. EU MILITARY STAFF

Brussels 3

5. EU BATTLE GROUP

German-led Battle Group 2016 - HQ, STRASBOURG 10

UK-led Battle Group 2016, UK5

6. MILITARY REPRESENTATIVES/ADVISERS/STAFF

(i)Military Adviser, Permanent Mission to UN, New York1

(ii)Military Adviser, Irish Delegation to OSCE, Vienna1

(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 and Military Co-Op Division, Mons, Belgium1

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEFENCE FORCES PERSONNEL SERVING OVERSEAS 493