Written answers

Tuesday, 26 January 2016

Department of Defence

Overseas Missions

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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264. To ask the Minister for Defence if Irish soldiers will be deployed overseas in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3266/16]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As of 1 January 2016, Ireland is contributing 423 Defence Forces personnel to 11 different missions throughout the world. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas are listed in the tabular statement beneath. The main overseas missions in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed are the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with 197 personnel and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Syria with 139 personnel.

Following a Government Decision on 12 May 2015, the Irish Naval Vessel, L.É. Eithne, was deployed to the Mediterranean on 16 May, 2015, to assist the Italian Authorities with the migrant crisis. Two further vessels were deployed, L.É. Niamh and L.É. Samuel Beckett, and the deployment was completed on 29 November 2015, with L.É. Samuel Beckett arriving back in Ireland on 17 December 2015. The question of a further deployment to the operation in the Mediterranean in 2016 is being evaluated and will be considered in the context of the ongoing situation in the Mediterranean and the overall EU response thereto, the demands on the Defence Forces, our overseas commitments and available resources.  Subject to Government approval, it is intended to deploy a further naval vessel to the Mediterranean probably sometime in March 2016.

The Department of Defence constantly reviews the deployment of Defence Forces personnel overseas. 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.

The current contribution of some 423 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 1 January 2016

1. UN MISSIONS
(i) UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) HQ 9

UNIFIL51st Infantry Group 184

UNIFILSector West HQ 4

(ii) UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation) Israel & Syria 13

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

(iv) MONUSCO(United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic 4

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

UNDOF50th Infantry Group 131

TOTAL 358

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 ) HQ 12

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

TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING WITH UN MISSIONS 393

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

(i)OSCE Mission to Bosnia & Herzegovina 1

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

TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING WITH OSCE 2

2. EU MILITARY STAFF

Brussels 3

3. EU BATTLE GROUP

German-led Battle Group 2016 - HQ, STRASBOURG 10

UK-led Battle Group 2016, UK 5

4. 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 423

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