Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I am aware of the delegation and will of course ask it to raise the matter with the Palestinian authorities. That said, the Minister for Foreign Affairs raised the matter with the Palestinian authorities quite recently, without any positive conclusion.

In a "Léargas" programme, broadcast on RTE on 25 April 2005, Brigadier General Sultan Al Anien indicated that he knew of the burial site of the remains of Private Joyce. It was then decided that two senior officers of the Defence Forces would travel to Lebanon to meet the brigadier general to discuss the matter. From the discussions that have since taken place, he must get back to them after further inquiries. Someone unknown tipped off RTE that this was another fruitless mission and that nothing would come of it. I am not aware of that and I do not wish to comment on the success or otherwise of the mission until such time as I am informed that this gentleman has got back to the two officers who travelled to meet him.

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