Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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594. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence to report on the recent appointment of a person (details supplied) as the head of mission and force commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL; the length and scope of this mission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17303/16]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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On 25 May 2016, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Major General Michael Beary as the Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).  The appointment will be for an initial period of one year. Major General Beary succeeds Major General Luciano Portolano of Italy, who will complete his assignment in mid July 2016.

The Head of Mission/Force Commander exercises “UN Operational Authority in the Field” over all military and civilian UN entities assigned to UNIFIL and commands UNIFIL, exercising operational control over all UNIFIL military elements and military observers.

Major General Beary has a wide range of previous overseas experience including three deployments in South Lebanon with UNIFIL and has served as Company Commander and Staff Officer in UNIFIL HQ Operations Branch. He served as Mission Commander in EUTM Somalia from 2011 to 2013 where he commanded a multinational force from 12 EU Member States who were tasked with training military forces for the Somali Government.  He is currently serving as the General Officer Commanding 2 Brigade.

The UNIFIL mission continues to represent Ireland’s largest overseas deployment. Currently, Ireland serves as part of a joint Finnish/Irish Battalion. There are currently 199 Irish personnel serving with UNIFIL. Ireland will take over command of the Battalion from Finland in November 2016 and will deploy an additional Company of approx 150 personnel as part of the Battalion.