Ireland is owed £11.6 million by the United Nations for peacekeeping operations, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Burke, told the Dail. Most of the arrears are for peacekeeping operations in Lebanon, which amounted to £9,364,000. A further £1,390,000 is owed for the force in Cyprus, £1,086,000 for Irish UN operations in Somalia and £19,793 for transport and miscellaneous costs.
In the last six-month period the UN paid £4.2 million in arrears, he said in reply to questions by Mr Dan Neville (FG, Limerick West) and Mr Brendan Howlin (Lab, Wexford).
The Minister said the delay was due to an unprecedented financial crisis facing the UN. The crisis was caused by the failure of countries, especially the United States, to pay their assessed contributions to the UN in full and on time.
He told the Labour Party leader, Mr Dick Spring, that Ireland might get some money, but was unlikely to get all the money owed until the US paid its dues to the UN.