Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 16 together.

The issue of awarding of military medals for gallantry and distinguished service medals to personnel who served at Jadotville in September 1961 has been considered on a number of occasions over the years and a number of actions have taken place to give due recognition to the courage and bravery of all the members of "A" Company, 35th Infantry Battalion, who were stationed in Jadotville in 1961. Notwithstanding the actions that have been undertaken to date, I have asked the Chief of Staff to consider whether it is possible, as an exceptional measure, to have a retrospective examination of the events at Jadotville in September 1961 in the context of the award of medals and the possible implications for the integrity of the award of medals system. In response, the Chief of Staff proposed the establishment of an independent group of external experts to consider the entire case and evidence, including new evidence, if any is available.

The independent review group was established by the Chief of Staff in December 2020 and consists of the following members: the chairman, Brigadier-General Paul Pakenham, retired; Dr. Michael Kennedy of the Royal Irish Academy; Commandant Billy Campbell, retired; Regimental Sergeant Major Michael Dillon, retired; and Ms Linda Hickey of the military archives. The terms of reference for the review are clear and are outlined in my written answer. I can go through them if the Deputies so wish.

In line with its terms of reference, the independent review group will examine, report and make recommendations in respect of the Battle of Jadotville of 13 to 17 September 1961 and will report its findings to the Chief of Staff. The work of the independent review group is well under way and the group has been actively engaged in the consultation and research process. The review group was due to conclude by 31 March 2021, however, given the sheer volume of meetings and the comprehensive nature of the research process, which is still producing a vast amount of material, an interim report was submitted and an extension to the timeframe for reporting to the Chief of Staff was requested. Taking into account the volume of research material and engagement being undertaken by the independent review group in the course of its work on this very important matter, this request for an extension has been recently acceded to. The timeframe for submission of the final report is mid-June. Once the work of the independent review group has been completed, the Chief of Staff will make recommendations, as appropriate, to my office.

At this juncture, it would be premature to state if the interim report or the final report, once submitted, will be published or released. I will await the outcome of the work of the independent review group and the recommendations of the Chief of Staff in due course. When the final report has been received and any findings have been given due consideration, a decision on the release of the interim report and final report will then be made, taking into account any legal or other considerations arising. Certainly, it is my intention to be as transparent as I possibly can be in respect of this process when the final report becomes available. Obviously, however ,I will have to take legal advice on that. I hope that this process will be able to bring this issue, debate and discussion to an end. September next is a very significant anniversary of the heroic contribution of Irish Defence Forces personnel at Jadotville. I hope that we will have a successful outcome to this review which will conclude next month.

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