Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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575. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of operations the Defence Forces are involved in abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17053/16]

Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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589. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence for a report on all overseas missions that the Defence Forces are currently participating in; the number of Defence Forces personnel currently participating in overseas missions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17298/16]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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596. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the level of deployment and location of Irish troops overseas on United Nations or European Union related missions; the extent to which further missions are planned or required; the extent to which the need for any upgrading of equipment has been noted, arising from such deployment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17317/16]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos 575, 589 and 596 together.

As of 1 June 2016, Ireland is contributing 474 Defence Forces personnel to 11 overseas 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 199 personnel, the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Syria with 136 personnel and the Naval Service humanitarian mission in the Mediterranean with 57 personnel.

Irish soldiers deployed to UNIFIL serve alongside Finnish Armed Forces as part of a joint Battalion which is currently under Finnish command. Ireland takes over command of the Battalion from Finland in November 2016 at which time an additional Company of some 150 personnel will be deployed to UNIFIL bringing Ireland’s contribution to this mission to 340 personnel approximately. In addition, Major General Michael Beary, will take over the prestigious role of Force Commander and Head of Misssion in UNIFIL shortly. A headquarters team and close protection support team amounting in total to approximately 20 personnel will deploy with him. Apart from these additional deployments to UNIFIL, no new missions are envisaged at this time.

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. 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.

Defence Forces personnel serving on all overseas missions are equipped with the most modern and effective equipment. This equipment enables troops to carry out the mission assigned, as well as providing the required protection specific to the mission. Ongoing threat assessments are carried out in mission areas and we continually review both equipment and force assets, to ensure that Defence Forces personnel are appropriately equipped to fulfill their roles. I am satisfied that all appropriate security measures are in place to ensure the safety of all Defence Forces personnel serving overseas.

The current contribution of some 474 Defence Forces 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^stJune 2016

1. UN MISSIONS

(i) UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) HQ 9

UNIFIL 53^rdInfantry Group 186

UNIFIL Sector West HQ 4

(ii) UNTSO(United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation) Israel & Syria 10

(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, 7

Golan Heights, Syria

UNDOF 52^ndInfantry Group 129

TOTAL 354

UN MANDATED MISSIONS

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

(viii) EUTM Mali (EU-Led Training Mission) 13

(ix)KFOR(International Security Presence in Kosovo ) HQ 12

2. OTHER DEPLOYMENTS

Naval Service Humanitarian Mission in Mediterranean L.É. Róisín 57

TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING WITH UN MISSIONS 443

3. 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

4. EU MILITARY STAFF

Brussels 4

5. EU BATTLE GROUP

German-led Battle Group 2016 - HQ, STRASBOURG 10

UK-led Battle Group 2016, UK 5

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 474