Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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908. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of overseas missions in which the Defence Forces are currently involved; the number of personnel involved in each mission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23554/16]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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As of 19 July 2016, Ireland is contributing 493 Defence Forces personnel to 11 different missions throughout the world, along with deployments to two standby Battlegroup Headquarters and a range of international organisations and National Representations.

The main overseas missions in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed are the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with 214 personnel, the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Syria with 136 personnel and the Naval Service humanitarian mission in the Mediterranean with 60 personnel.

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

Members of the Permanent Defence Force Serving Overseas

As of 19th July 2016

1. UN MISSIONS

(i) UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) HQ27

UNIFIL 53^rdInfantry Group183

UNIFIL Sector West HQ4

(ii) UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation) Israel & Syria11

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

(iv) MONUSCO (United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo)3

(v) UNOCI (United Nations Mission in Ivory Coast)1

(vi) UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force) HQ, Golan Heights, Syria7

UNDOF 52^ndInfantry Group129

TOTAL368

UN MANDATED MISSIONS

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

(viii) EUTM Mali (EU-Led Training Mission)15

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

2. OTHER DEPLOYMENTS

Naval Service Humanitarian Mission in Mediterranean L.É. James Joyce60

TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING WITH UN MISSIONS462

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

(i) OSCE Mission to Bosnia & Herzegovina1

(ii) Staff Officer, High Level Planning Group, Vienna1

TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING WITH OSCE2

4. EU MILITARY STAFF

Brussels4

5. EU BATTLE GROUP

German-led Battle Group 2016 - HQ, STRASBOURG10

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, Belgium1

(vi) Irish Liaison Officer to SHAPE & Military Co-Op Division, Mons, Belgium1

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEFENCE FORCES PERSONNEL SERVING OVERSEAS493