Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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297. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the length of time before any mission to sub Saharan Africa, active duty for Defence Forces members begins; and the length of time after return from mission active duty ends. [39092/16]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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As of 1 December 2016, Ireland is contributing Defence Forces personnel to four missions in sub Saharan Africa as follows:

- 18 personnel to the EU-led Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali);

- 3 Military Observers to the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, (MINURSO);

- 4 Military Observers to the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); and

- 1 Military Observer to the United Nations Mission in the Ivory Coast (UNOCI).

'Active service' is defined by Section 5 of the Defence Act 1954, as amended by Section 4 of the Defence (Amdment)(no 2) Act 1960 as follows:

“4. (1) A member of the Permanent Defence Force who is serving outside the State with an armed International United Nations Force shall, for the purposes of the Principal Act, be deemed, while so serving, to be on active service.”

I am advised that a member of the Permanent Defence Force is deemed to be on active service while serving outside the State with a relevant Force. This period commences when the member departs the State to serve with the Force and ends when he returns to the State, having finished serving with the Force.