The Deployment of Irish Defense Forces

2009年中､アイルランド軍兵士の5人に1人が国際平和維持､協力活動に派兵され､その派遣人員数は過去最高とみられるとのことです｡Irish Timesから｡アイルランドは国連だけなく､NATOのミッションにも参加しており､派遣先はチャド､コソボ､レバノン､西サハラ､アフガニスタン｡

One-fifth of Defence Forces served overseas last year
By CONOR LALLY, Wed, Aug 18, 2010, the Irish Times

ALMOST ONE in five members of the Defence Forces served on overseas missions last year, according to the joint annual report of the Defence Forces and Department of Defence.

The figure is believed to be the highest ever.

The UN’s peace enforcement mission in Chad accounted for the highest number of troop deployments, reaching 450 during each of three rotations. Nato’s mission in Kosovo played host to an Irish deployment numbering almost 220 at a time.

There were also smaller numbers of troops, usually less than 10, deployed to international missions in Lebanon, Western Sahara and Afghanistan.

The overseas deployment of Irish troops has fallen away this year because the Defence Forces is no longer in Chad and numbers in the Balkans have been scaled back.

The joint annual report also revealed a record level of activity by the Army’s bomb disposal teams, who responded to 196 call outs during 2009.

The Naval Service also experienced one of its busiest periods in recent years. Its personnel boarded 1,841 vessels last year during fishery protection patrols, detaining 15 boats.

Of the ships detained, four were Irish. There were five vessels each from the UK and France with one detention of a vessel from Spain.

The extent of the Naval Service’s activities during the security operation against protesters opposed to Shell’s Corrib gas pipeline in Co Mayo is also revealed, with five of the Navy’s ships on patrol in Broadhaven Bay for a total of 37 days.

The ships were providing support to the Garda Water Unit.

The Garda was charged with ensuring digging and pipe laying vessels working to lay an underwater pipe from the Corrib gas fields into Shell’s landfall site at Glengad, Co Mayo, were not disrupted. Work on the pipeline was stalled on safety grounds several times when protesters in kayaks paddled out to the pipelaying vessel.

防衛省の記者発表文
http://www.defence.ie/WebSite.nsf/Release+ID/58396F274327C2D0802577820042848E?OpenDocument

防衛省の2009年年次報告書
http://www.defence.ie/WebSite.nsf/fba727373c93a4f080256c53004d976e/79dbfa99ee3515e58025766a00365447/$FILE/Annual%20Report%202009%20English.pdf