Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am equally unhappy with the slow progress there and the nature of the trial process and I have met the Lebanese minister for foreign affairs on a number of occasions now, most recently in Barcelona at a European ministerial exchange on the Middle East more generally. I had a bilateral with him there, previous bilaterals at the UN General Assembly, UNGA, and indeed, I went to Lebanon to meet him. I also met the minister of defence in Lebanon and spoke to him there. I articulated our anger at the fact that the chief suspect was released pending the court case on medical grounds according to the Lebanese authorities. I will not be satisfied with this until I see justice. It is slow. I am equally conscious of the state of Lebanon at the moment but we are keeping a very strong watch and brief on this. We have employed lawyers who cannot intervene but are there as observers every step of the way. We are concerned about this. As I said earlier, we must value our peacekeepers but more importantly, Lebanon keeps thanking Ireland and articulating its appreciation of the Irish contribution historically to Lebanon and to the peacekeeping there, yet we need to see that reflected in the rigour we would expect from the courts and the judicial system there regarding the murder of Seán Rooney.