asked the Minister for Defence the number of soldiers operating in Border areas assisting unarmed gardaí.

: Pursuant to their role of rendering aid to the civil power, the Defence Forces assist the Garda Sío chána in providing Border patrols and in dealing with Border incidents.

The disposition of troops in the area is determined by the exigencies of the service from time to time. For reasons of security, it is not the practice to disclose details of the number of personnel on duty in the area.