Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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We are on the verge of a major public transport strike with Bus Éireann. It seems that the previous Government sat on its hands over a two-year period. Even though various plans went to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the National Transport Authority, nothing happened because nobody wanted to deal with these issues in the run-up to the 2016 general election. In the aftermath of that election, the old management was cleared out. The very aggressive approach that has now developed is putting the onus entirely on workers' terms, pay and conditions. In my view, the objectives of this strategy, which is essentially driven by conflict, are to reduce the average bus driver's wages to €32,000 or €33,000 in one fell swoop and to achieve redundancies and other efficiencies. In other words, the workers will have to bear the entire brunt of the savings of €12 million that have been identified and are being sought by the company.

The position and behaviour of management at the Labour Relations Commission on Monday was very provocative. The ideological position of Fine Gael and the Minister, who hails from the same stable, is aligned to this strategy. The Minister is engaging in classic Pontius Pilate behaviour by hiding behind the industrial relations fig leaf and refusing to engage. He is privately comfortable with the undermining of this public transport company and the all-out assault on the terms and conditions of its workers. I accept that efficiencies and reforms are needed. I agree with that but I do not agree with a race to the bottom, which is what is actually going on. I do not agree with the undermining of an important State bus company. The last time we discussed this matter, I asked the Taoiseach to set out his position on it but he equivocated on the idea of supporting and maintaining a State transport company like Bus Éireann. It is interesting to note that the Luas and Dublin Bus disputes got sorted. Was that because those companies are based in Dublin?

To hell with the regions and rural Ireland and let chaos prevail. That is the message being sent in the contrasting way the various disputes have been dealt with. The hands-off approach of the Minister, Deputy Ross, is ensuring that occurs.

The basic question I have put to the Taoiseach is why it is not possible for the Minister, Deputy Ross, and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to engage with the National Transport Authority, NTA, Bus Éireann management and unions to work out the policy implications and issues that could contribute to a resolution of this particular dispute. We should remember the public service subvention has been reduced from approximately €45 million in 2010 to €36 million in 2016 and the free travel contribution per passenger is approximately €4.86 on the Expressway, with €11.78 being the average fare on the service. The policy matters and it is time for the Minister to engage on those issues with all the stakeholders.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It is very disappointing that talks have broken down and, potentially, there is a catastrophic position for hundreds of thousands of passengers if this spreads throughout the company. The problem is on the Expressway service, which is a commercial service that is not subsidised. The NTA representatives at the transport committee today are focusing on the financial position of Bus Éireann. Of the passengers carried by the company, 81% are on routes that are subsidised under the public service obligation, PSO, contract that Bus Éireann has with the NTA. These services are fully remunerated by the NTA, and the subvention for PSO services by the NTA increased from €24 million in 2014 to €40 million in 2016.

I have no equivocation about supporting a public transport system, as we have with Bus Éireann carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers. The difficulty lies with the commercial Expressway business and that must be addressed for the sake of the workforce in Bus Éireann, including drivers and those who maintain the buses, and also the travelling public. The Minister, Deputy Ross, is very anxious that the machinery of the State would be used, and all the other strikes mentioned by the Deputy have been settled around that table, as this one can and will be too. The Minister has been in touch with the Minister for Social Protection in respect of the current funding levels for the scheme of subvention that is operated, with 81% of passengers carried on those routes. As I stated yesterday, rumours of taking away the free travel system were completely and utterly false.

There will be some further intense, difficult and complicated discussions before this is resolved and it will require direct engagement, one way or the other, between the management and unions. The issues we have seen reported in recent days highlight the internal focus of the problems the company faces. My understanding is the three routes mentioned were for discussion and no decision has been made. There is one to Derry, one to Westport from Athlone and one to Clonmel. They are important routes. The NTA has pointed out that in the event that discussions continue and changes are made to the Expressway service, it will step in and provide connectivity for the public in those areas that would be affected by any change in the Expressway service by Bus Éireann.

I hope this matter can be sorted out in the same way as all others. It is complicated, difficult and tension-filled, but as the Deputy rightly points out, so many other awkward cases have been dealt with and settled through the machinery of the State. I hope at this late stage that unions and management can get together again and work out issues. The Minister is very anxious that this would happen and is focusing on the public service end of any changes that might happen.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In the months before the previous general election, plans were submitted to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. The attitude was it wanted nothing that might cause any difficulty or conflict in advance of the election. That happened and there was a political hands-off before the election. It was about avoiding the cause of any hassle or difficult decisions.

In the aftermath of the election, we are, in one fell swoop, taking a sledgehammer to workers' terms and conditions. This is exactly what is happening. It is a conflict-driven approach, based on all that has happened during the past month or so.

Although the Taoiseach said the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport was in touch with the Minister for Social Protection, that is meaningless. What does it mean? The issue is that the average social protection contribution per Expressway passenger is €4.86, whereas the average fare is approximately €11.78. There is a huge gap and a contribution that could be made. There are avenues to be explored under the PSO obligations in terms of some of the routes. The changes being demanded apply to far more than just the Expressway service. They are more fundamental and broad-ranging.

Given his ideological disposition, the Minister has deliberately stood back. The other disputes were resolved because there was an upward trajectory regarding pay and conditions. This company happens to serve regional and rural Ireland, and the attitude seems to be that we can live with allowing chaos to prevail. I urge the Taoiseach to ensure that all the stakeholders get together to examine the policy issues before the industrial relations issues in order that there is a proper basis on which the industrial relations issues can be resolved.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I remind the Deputy that the Minister with responsibility for rural development and ensuring that rural economic potential is achieved published the co-ordinated approach to rural development recently in Ballymahon. Part of it deals with rural transport and services for people.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Look what happened afterwards. The Government cancelled the buses.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Those who avail of services at the public end of Bus Éireann can rest assured that there is no threat to their services. Regarding the correspondence between the Ministers for Transport, Tourism and Sport and Social Protection, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is examining the funding issue and the implications for public transport operators. This is why the NTA has already given many indications of its capacity to step in. The Minister is rightly examining the funding arrangements in the interests of ensuring nobody on the public service end of Bus Éireann loses out on any services. They can rest assured of it.

The problem with the Expressway service remains and is the nub of the issue. I hope the union and management can sit down and talk matters out. The Deputy has pointed out that other very awkward cases have been dealt with. Before the most recent election, the then Minister, Deputy Donohoe, was dealing with transport. He, above any other Minister, was intensely interested and involved.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Three plans were submitted.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It was not a case of adopting a hands-off approach and not wanting to deal with problems. There is no point letting it fester. The opportunity to deal with the matter is still there and it will be settled through negotiations between the union and management.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I have been raising the difficulties in Bus Éireann with the Taoiseach for a very long time and he has done nothing about them. The management of Bus Éireann announced measures that threaten the rights of bus workers and, most importantly, those of passengers, particularly people who live in rural Ireland. By slashing overtime and Sunday rates and cutting pay, the management is forcing the issue to an industrial dispute. The Taoiseach was well warned about it. This race to the bottom in respect of workers' pay and conditions is unacceptable.

Although the Taoiseach and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport say rural Ireland is the Government's top priority, there is no evidence for that. The Government has closed Garda stations, post offices, hospitals and other facilities. It is attacking the public bus service in the same way Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats did when Deputy Micheál Martin was in government. A huge number of people, particularly in rural Ireland, rely on Bus Éireann. They are the young, the old, the poor, rural dwellers and tourists. The outworking of Government policy is that people who live in rural Ireland and who cannot afford a car or, for whatever reason, cannot drive, must stay where they are, even if it means they cannot access work, study, health care or a social life.

The nub of the question is whether the Taoiseach believes public transport is a right and whether he believes rural dwellers have this right or not. The Government believes in privatisation. In that case, the profit motive will determine who gets a public bus service or a bus service at all.

Bus Éireann is part of our vital infrastructure, especially in rural Ireland. It is possible, with good management and by listening to transport users and workers, to create a service that will attract more people to use public transport. That should be the Government’s position. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, should ensure the future sustainability of Bus Éireann as a public service. He could take a number of decisions, including; a review of loss-making routes on which private carriers currently operate; a review of the number of private licenses issued on these routes; and an increase in funding for the free travel pass - the amount currently allocated covers just 41% of the cost of the average journey. The Minister needs to provide clarity regarding routes and services including, as the Taoiseach said, the Dublin to Derry, Dublin to Clonmel and Athlone to Westport routes. There is always, however, the get-out answer that the decision has not yet been made. The Minister needs to engage immediately with all of the stakeholders to prevent serious travel disruption and a protracted industrial dispute. His aim must be to ensure that together we find a way to protect, preserve and enhance our public transport network. I again ask the Taoiseach to ensure that the Minister, Deputy Ross, engages with all of the stakeholders, including his own Department, the National Transport Authority, NTA, Bus Éireann and the unions in order to find a resolution in respect of this issue.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Adams raised a range of issues. I again point out to him that the commercial end of Bus Éireann is not subsidised by the taxpayer. A total of 81% of passengers who travel by Bus Éireann are availing of the public transport system that is subsidised, a subvention that was increased to €40 million in 2016.

The Deputy says that nothing is being done about rural Ireland. I fundamentally disagree with this point. Not only have we drawn all the programmes together, there is, on a community basis, an opportunity for the vast majority of communities of small towns and villages to avail of benefits and opportunities under that programme. The rural transport links scheme that applies not only services rural Ireland, it also brings people from their homes to towns and villages and back again. There is always a consultation about the transport needs of every parish and community. This is where the rural transport link is exceptionally strong. Supports for rural Ireland include the programme relating to the development of IDA Ireland plants in different towns and villages throughout the State, the development of the hospitality sector, the retention of the 9% VAT rate, the abolition of the travel tax, the expansion of the lake land areas, the continuation of the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland's Ancient East initiatives and increased flights into the country. All of these measures are important.

On foreign direct investment, IDA Ireland has been directed that 135,000 of the 200,000 jobs to be created between now and 2020 should be located outside the greater Dublin region. The NTA means what it says. At a meeting of the Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport this morning, the NTA pointed out - as it has done on many occasions - that if there are any changes arising from the discussions that must take place between management and unions regarding Bus Éireann, it will, through its system, manage those changes in the context of connectivity for the public. The essential point is that the Expressway system is a commercial system and is not subsidised by the taxpayer. That is where the problem lies and it is the context in which it must be resolved. The Minister, Deputy Ross, is anxious that this would happen; that union and management will sit down again - difficult though it may be - to work to resolve their differences. Changes that arise from the Expressway system will be taken up by the NTA. I do not accept Deputy Adams' assertion that nothing is being done. In fact, more is being done for rural Ireland in so many ways. More than ever before there are signs throughout the country that increased opportunities are being taken up every day.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister should lead by example. There is no point in asking others to sit down when he refuses to do so. This morning the NTA refused point blank to carry out a review of loss-making routes. All of this comes after a decade of under-investment in Bus Éireann. That, again, dates back to Fianna Fáil's time. The central point is about the rights of citizens.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Now the Deputy is concerned about it.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Citizens have rights and that should have primacy in a real Republic and those rights should include the right to public services. The Government's record on public services is disgraceful. As the Taoiseach contemplates his own political future, he should be aware, 100 years after the 1916 Rising, that citizens do not have rights to public services - not to a home, not to water, not to a public bus service and not to a health service. That is the Taoiseach's legacy. It is because he does not believe in the rights of citizens that he refuses to ask the Minister, Deputy Ross, to intervene in the Bus Éireann dispute. The Taoiseach has also said he will not support Sinn Féin's Private Members' Bill on enhancing workers' rights, to be moved tonight by Teachta David Cullinane, because he does not agree that workers should be protected against exploitation, whether it is in Tesco or in Bus Éireann.

The Taoiseach has done his time. By his own lights, he has done his best but is it not always better to leave things better than one found them? Even at this late stage, I ask the Taoiseach to intervene to avoid a protracted industrial dispute and to save Bus Éireann.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The NTA has already confirmed on many occasions that it is quite happy to step in where changes would arise whereby people lose a service that is currently provided by Bus Éireann on the Expressway link. That is the first point.

The second point is that Deputy Adams talks about lack of investment and rights and responsibilities in public services. I think what he wants is a set of rights without any responsibilities. We live in a Republic. We have a written Constitution that Deputy Adams sometimes finds difficulty in agreeing with, adhering to or believing. He seems to have a view that he can have everything his way with no responsibility at all. If his own economic policies were followed, there would not be a bob for any rural transport, never mind Expressway or the 81% who are carried by public services, as it is at the moment. I do not accept the Deputy's assertion at all. Rights, yes, but with responsibility.

The problem here is that the commercial end of Bus Éireann is not paying its way. That is where the nub of this problem is. Some 81% of the passengers are carried on a scheme that is publicly subvented by the taxpayer, and we support that. The Minister is looking at the funding requirements so there will be no loss of service to the public. I believe in that and there is no equivocation about that. The problem is the commercial end of Bus Éireann, which is Expressway. That needs to be sorted out around the table. I hope the unions and management can get together on this again, even though it is difficult and complex. The Minister, Deputy Ross, on behalf of Government, is very interested that this would happen.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Taoiseach is on the record as saying that industrial peace is a critical factor in our national recovery. However, over the last nine months we have seen increasing industrial unrest, both in the public and private employment. It now looks like the record of this Administration will be a return to an era of industrial chaos.

Four weeks ago I raised the issue of Bus Éireann with the Taoiseach. I said then that over recent months we had heard a lot of noise but little clarity about the future of Bus Éireann. What has now become clear is that the crisis is being used to slash the terms and conditions of front-line workers in Bus Éireann. A registered employment agreement - we restored those, if the Taoiseach recalls - is in place covering bus workers but that is now being ignored by management. I believe management is trying to bypass the industrial machinery of the State. It is open to the Government, in the interest of industrial relations and sectoral pay policy, to put in place a system of sectoral employment orders - the Taoiseach will recall we put that in place in legislation in our time. It is open to the Government, in a licensed and regulated sector, particularly one of strategic importance like public transport, to insist on co-operation with the industrial relations machinery of the State.

Four weeks ago we last discussed this issue and it has festered since. I have a few questions for the Taoiseach. First, does he accept that, regardless of how the bus network is redesigned, no matter who is given what route, there must be a common and basic set of ground rules? Second, does he agree that no one - not the market, not the consumers and not the workers - benefits from a ruthless race to the bottom?

Third, will the Taoiseach accept that the members of this Government are not mere bystanders? As this dispute festers, threatening communities across the country, there is an obligation on and a genuine public interest in the Taoiseach taking measures to avoid chaos. Does he agree, therefore, that he must at the very least ensure a common minimum acceptable floor with regard to the terms and conditions in this sector? If he accepts that, will he agree, as a matter of belated but important action, that it would be a condition of public transport bus licences that the licensee would join representative employers in that sector who will negotiate common and fair terms and conditions? Will the Taoiseach insist that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport stops becoming a passive bystander and ensures that this is done?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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When an economy is beginning to move and things begin to improve, expectations rise with that. We have had concerns and difficulties in respect of nurses, one sector of teachers, some consultants, the issue of public pay, the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, legislation and the putting together of a successor to the Lansdowne Road agreement. Obviously, the Government does not have the resources to deal with all of those claims at once. That is why discussions are very necessary.

Deputy Howlin asked a number of questions. If what the Deputy proclaims is true, namely, that management wishes to bypass the rights of workers in the language he described, I would say to management and to unions that the facilities the Deputy has often mentioned are available for everybody to use to their fullest extent to sort out complex difficulties which require negotiation and the determination of solutions that will benefit everybody.

I agree there must be clear rules in the design or redesign of any scheme. I agree it should be for the benefit of those who work in the company and for the hundreds of thousands of members of the public who use Bus Éireann services. The Government is not a bystander here. It has increased the subvention for the schemes provided by Bus Éireann on which 81% of its passengers are carried. Government has a role with the National Transport Authority, which provides and will continue to provide opportunities for further transport where services will be disrupted arising from the discussions that take place between management and unions in respect of Expressway. In that sense, the Government is not a bystander in the support it provides for many rural transport links across the country on a small community and personal basis for people.

The Minister, Deputy Ross, no more than any other Minister for transport, has encouraged people to come together and use the machinery that has been set up and tried and tested in very many difficult circumstances over the years. Nobody wants to see hundreds of thousands of members of the public discommoded over an issue that must and can only be sorted out by people sitting around the table where the experience and expertise of the machinery of the State is available. I hope, arising from the Deputy's questions and those asked by Deputy Martin and Deputy Adams here in the Dáil, that the message goes out that this has got to be sorted and that is the way to sort it.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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No, recovery does not automatically mean industrial chaos. Industrial peace requires constant minding and tending, as I think the Taoiseach knows, and it is clear that attention to industrial peace is not being afforded by this Administration. That is the plain fact of it. In our time we legislated for the restoration of registered employment agreements and the capacity to have sectoral orders within, for example, the public transport sphere. Will the Taoiseach not agree that the nub of the issue is that the race to the bottom that will worsen workers' terms and conditions cannot be allowed to happen? If there is a common floor of decency, the private and public sectors can then compete on a variety of other means but not on pushing down the wages of workers who are already struggling just to pay their way.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I did not say that. I wish to draw Deputy Howlin's attention to the fact that what I said was that when an economy begins to improve and strengthen, expectations rise. That does not mean it is a recipe for industrial chaos. Clearly, the efforts of Government and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in particular have been very successful in dealing with the provision of a successor to the Lansdowne Road agreement, as well as in making arrangements for other sectors to have the opportunity to vote and decide on whether they want that.

It is a fact that expectations rise. This does not mean it is a precursor to industrial chaos, as Deputy Howlin has described it, in every situation.

Several questions arise. Where can we discuss the question of a common base? Where can we discuss the question of the common floor that Deputy Howlin referred to? Where do we discuss the issue of whether this constitutes an attempt to push down wages and not have reference to either rights or responsibilities? It is a question of using the machinery of the State. That is why at this point and from this floor I exhort union and management to sit down again, take the issue at the nub of this problem - the commercial end of Bus Éireann, Expressway, which is not commercially feasible at the moment - and work out a solution in the interests of everyone, especially the travelling public, drivers and the company itself. That opportunity exists again today.

Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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In September 1961, 155 men from A Company, 35th Infantry Battalion, under the command of the late Commandant Pat Quinlan fought bravely against overwhelming odds for five days in the siege of Jadotville, Congo, against a force of over 3,000 mercenaries and Katangese forces. These brave Irish men followed orders and miraculously suffered no fatalities, while the enemy suffered 300 dead and 750 wounded. Sadly, after 56 years, certain officers and non-commissioned officers recommended for medals for leadership and bravery by Commandant Quinlan have not yet received their awards.

Commandant Quinlan has never been recommended for bravery and leadership. This is completely unbelievable when one considers his extraordinary achievement. This should be rectified immediately.

The fifth year history students in Galway community college, led by their teacher, Philip Cribbin, who is in the Gallery today, have been petitioning politicians, Ministers and have also contacted the Taoiseach, requesting that these medals be awarded. In addition, 200 students from Malahide community school, Dublin, some of whom also are in the Gallery today, have similarly petitioned for the award of these medals. I am especially proud to have retired Commandant Leo Quinlan, son of the late Pat Quinlan, as well as Jadotville veterans, Quartermaster Sergeant Michael Tighe and Corporal Tadhg Quinn, as my guests in the Dáil today.

Sadly, only 41 survivors from the siege of Jadotville are still alive today. On behalf of the students from Galway community college, I appeal to the Taoiseach to award medals to the officers and NCOs, as recommended by Commandant Pat Quinlan in 1961 following 56 years of campaigning.

The Taoiseach is no doubt aware of the fact that a 1965 military board considered the recommendation of Commandant Pat Quinlan that medals be awarded to eight or nine of his officers and NCOs who were under his command in Jadotville. No medals were awarded and no one seems to know why. Only recently, I learned that when that board met in 1965, it was not asked to consider the actions of the commander of the day, Commandant Quinlan. Commandant Pat Quinlan should be considered for a medal of recognition of his outstanding military and tactical leadership in the field of battle. The evidence is clear from his actions: Commandant Quinlan saved the lives of his men in his company.

I understand that the awarding of medals for members of the Defence Forces falls to a military board that reports to the Chief of Staff. I believe that the time is right to ask the Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Mark Mellett, to appoint a medals board to review the awarding of medals of the solders of Jadotville. In particular, such a board should review the awarding of a medal to Commandant Pat Quinlan. Will the Taoiseach support the officers, NCOs and men from the siege of Jadotville, as well as their families, and ask Vice Admiral Mellett to convene the board as a matter of urgency? Furthermore, will the Taoiseach commit to reporting progress to the House following his discussions with Vice Admiral Mellett?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Grealish for raising this, and I understand he has some of his colleagues with him in the House. The matter of awarding medals to the men of A Company was raised in a letter to a newly appointed Chief of Staff and he asked the original medals board to reconvene and review its decision. The board indicated that the issues raised had received consideration and that it was not prepared to alter its findings.

On the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the siege of Jadotville the Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Deputy Kehoe, took the decision to honour the collective actions and bravery of the men of A Company and issue a unit citation. This was the first time that a unit citation was awarded within the Defence Forces to recognise formally the brave actions of these men. The Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, hosted an occasion in Custume Barracks in Athlone on 17 September last at which the unit citation was presented to the company in respect of its collective heroism and professional performance during the siege of Jadotville while cut off from support and reinforcements. A specially commissioned insignia will also be provided to the members and the next of kin of deceased members of A Company in the coming weeks. These are rewards that are used internationally by other military forces to recognise units that have served with particular distinction or heroism. The Minister of State is satisfied that the award of a unit citation and the associated specially commissioned insignia properly honours the collective bravery of the men of A Company, 35th Infantry Battalion.

On 19 December last, the Minister of State was in Renmore Barracks with Deputy Grealish and other Members of the Oireachtas and he met students of the fifth year history class of Galway community college. He was impressed by the interest and knowledge of the students about the events at Jadotville in 1961. Since then, the Minister of State has written to the students outlining his reason for awarding a unit citation and insignia as a means of formal recognition of the collective bravery and outstanding performance of the men of A Company. I have a letter I received from Galway community college and I commend Alanna O'Reilly, Stefan Madalin, Wiktoria Gorczyca and Patrick Lenehan, on behalf of the fifth year students in Galway community college, on the way they wrote it.

Deputy Grealish made a particular point in respect of Commandant Pat Quinlan, his bravery and the fact his actions saved lives at the time. I will have the matter examined. I will talk to the Chief of Staff but I will not give the Deputy a guarantee. The Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, has examined the matter and he said the insignia and unit citation are in accordance with the practice of military forces in other countries for recognising bravery and courage in the face of attack. I will have the matter examined and I will report back to the House.

Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an Taoiseach. I acknowledge the support of my colleagues in Galway. Deputy Catherine Connolly raised this in a question to the Minister of State last week. There is full support on this from all Members of the Oireachtas from Galway. The UN military commander in Katanga, Brigadier K. A. S. Raja memorably said that "the Irish troops in Jadotville were magnificent and Commandant Quinlan, the Irish commander, would, in the Indian army, be awarded the highest military award for gallantry ... I believe he could be held as an example to all soldiers". That is an important statement from the UN commander at the time on what Commandant Pat Quinlan achieved that day. I hope the Taoiseach has seen the film on this subject.

I seek a firm commitment from the Taoiseach that he will right a wrong. These people were never officially recognised. I accept that the unit received a citation from the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, in Athlone last year, but Commandant Pat Quinlan's memory should be honoured and the medals which he proposed should be given to the soldiers for their bravery and honour. I hope the Taoiseach will return to the House with a positive response after he meets with the Vice Admiral.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy mentioned the Indian Brigadier's comments on the bravery of the Irish soldiers. I often mention the fact that Robert E. Lee said the same about General Meagher's regiment in the American Civil War, from which came the description the "fighting Irish". The Deputy raised an interesting point when he said it is not known why medals were not awarded and asked the reason for that. That is an issue we must examine.

These men fought in this incident. They showed exceptional bravery and courage. Some have not been awarded medals. The actions of Commandant Quinlan, to whom the Deputy specifically referred, saved the lives of other people. I will have that looked at on behalf of all those in Galway, but particularly on behalf of the soldiers and their next of kin and we can reflect on this. It was not an easy time and, no more than many of their predecessors, they showed exceptional courage in the face of enemy fire.