21 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Defence the number of requests which have been received by his Department in 1996 to supply Defence Forces personnel for service outside the State; the dates on which such requests were received; the organisation or agency which made each request; the nature, duration and location of the missions to which the requests related; the number of personnel requested in each case; the ranks and skill type requested in each case; the date on which a decision was made by his Department in respect of each case; the nature of the decision in each case; if the request was refused; the reason or reasons for such refusal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7156/97]

A total of ten requests to supply Defence Forces personnel for service outside the State were received during 1996. Details of these requests are as follows:

— a request was received from the United Nations on 2 January 1996 for two Ammunition Technical Officers for deployment to Croatia and Bosnia for approximately six weeks. Deployment was approved on 8 January. However, the United Nations indicated that as there was already an adequate number of suitable personnel deployed they would not be taking up our offer;

— a request dated 5 February 1996 was received from the United Nations seeking our agreement to the redeployment of five military observers serving with the United Nations Peace Forces (in the former Yugoslavia) to the United Nations missions in Croatia, Eastern Slavonia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. These missions have a one year tour of duty. The required redeployments took place on 29 February 1996. These personnel were replaced by five other Irish personnel at the end of their tours of duty;

— a request dated 14 March 1996 was received from the United Nations seeking Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Teams to operate with the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia (UNTAES) for a period of about nine months. It was indicated that each team would consist of two or three personnel of a rank no higher than captain. The duties would involve demining and destruction of unexploded ordnance and booby traps. The request was declined on 16 July 1996 on the basis of the inherent great dangers associated with participation in UNTAES on the types of duties contained in the request;