Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister’s commitment to meet with the family of Private Doherty. One issue of concern and alarm brought to my attention is that, during the original investigation carried out by Colonel Savino at the time, he did not interview any of the team with which the two privates served. Other issues of concern are the isolated nature of the observation post they were holding, as well as the fact bullet cases secured at the scene and ballistic evidence which may have helped identify the group responsible for the attack are now missing. Responsibility for the attack is not clear as it would have been attributed to the PLO, Palestine Liberation Organisation, at the time as the Amal militia would have been more aligned to the UN forces in southern Lebanon. There is also a concern about the fact the force's mobile reserve was withdrawn three days after the incident.

I have met with some of the Defence Forces members who served with the two privates. Would it be possible, because of their expertise in this matter, to have one or two of them present at the meeting along with the family members who acknowledge they would not have the level of expertise of the realities on the ground in southern Lebanon and the specific concerns of the investigation?

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