Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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30. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the protocols in place governing the awarding of military medals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9580/19]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I want to ask the Taoiseach and the Minister of State at the Departments of the Taoiseach and Defence the protocols that are in place governing the awarding of military medals and if he will make a statement on the matter. As the Minister of State knows, there is grave concern about the ongoing refusal to award military medals around Jadotville and many families have been in touch with Members across this House about same. I want to know why the Minister of State cannot progress what has been recommended by many people in the Defence Forces and if he can clarify the matter.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the military authorities that in general, medals are awarded to members of the Defence Forces on the basis of various criteria such as their length of service, for service overseas and for acts of bravery associated with such service both at home and overseas. Defence Forces Regulation, DFR, A9 sets out the qualifying criteria required to be awarded such Defence Forces medals. This regulation also delineates the procedures for the awarding of those medals to members of the Defence Forces. DFR A9 sets out the various types of medal awards. "Medal award" serves as an overarching category and then various subcategories are further set out under each "medal award".

These subcategories are classes of award, bar to medal, investigation by military board, time limit for award, and administrative instructions. The details provided underneath each of these headings essentially lay out the protocols for the awarding of these medals.

Apart from those medals set out in DFR A9, other medals have been awarded. A recent medal awarded was the 1916 Centenary Commemorative Medal. This was awarded to all those personnel serving in 2016 in the Permanent Defence Force and the Reserve Defence Force. Another medal awarded was the Jadotville Medal, which was awarded to the men of A Company 35th Infantry Battalion in recognition of the courageous actions of the men during the siege at Jadotville. I was very happy to be associated with both of these medals and it gave me great pleasure to attend the various medal award ceremonies and meet the recipients. To provide for the aforementioned 1916 Centenary Commemorative Medal and the Jadotville Medal, additional stand-alone Defence Force regulations in the yearly series were made for both. These regulations were made pursuant to section 26 of the Defence Act 1954, as was DFR A9.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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How many times have recommendations been made to award military medals? I understand recommendations were made for personnel to receive a medal following service in Kosovo. I also understand that in that case a board never met but one individual decided it was appropriate not to proceed. Will the Minister of State clarify this? Will the Minister of State guarantee that when recommendations are made by an appropriate officer, they will always be discussed and the board will always sit? There is a lot of confusion about this process and the Minister of State needs to clarify it. Why were medals awarded for Elizabethville during Ireland's participation in the Congo but not for other places that saw action? I do not dispute these medals but I would like to know the rationale behind the decision. It is a bone of contention for many people. I acknowledge this is now historical but it remains of significant ongoing interest to many families. Was Elizabethville the biggest action the Defence Forces were involved in during the Congo mission? It is fair to say that it was not. There is a view that the Jadotville men, who were in action months later, warranted a medal. Will the Minister of State provide clarity on this specific issue? The regulations or the process need to be rectified so they can be awarded the superior medal.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is very well aware, this has been a very contentious issue for a long number of years, long before I entered the House in 2002. A Government decision was made that we would award the Jadotville Medal to the men who participated there. This went on for a long number of years. I am very well aware of the campaign under way for medals for a select group of men who served in Jadotville. These issues were considered in the 1960s by the medal board when people were recommended for a Distinguished Service Medal. On that occasion, a decision was made not to award a Distinguished Service Medal. I understand the medal board sat on two separate occasions to consider the matter. I have stated, and will state again today, that if there is new information, of course it will be reconsidered. People have put information into the domain recently, but my understanding is that information was already on the military records. If there is substantive new information, of course this will be reconsidered.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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There is a view that it is significant that medals were given to three Jadotville men for action two months later in Elizabethville. In addition, other medals were awarded to soldiers from other companies in the same battalion in the Congo for other actions elsewhere but no medals were awarded for Jadotville action, which is still the biggest battle with a foreign enemy in which the Irish Army has been involved since the formation of the State. The defence of Jadotville is recognised worldwide as the most perfect example of a perimeter defence and is now being taught as case history by the British Army, the Australian Army and the German Army and probably by other armies. There is a feeling in the community, which is lobbying all of us on this matter, that when he was Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny made a direct commitment to offer the superior medal for extraordinary courage and the Military Medal for Gallantry, and that what has been awarded thus far is simply an acknowledgement and does not merit the action in which they were involved. This is the significant bone of contention. They feel that a commitment was made at the top of government but it has not been matched with follow-through.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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No Government has ever awarded a Distinguished Service Medal. It is up to the medal board to consider the recommendations made to it. I know for a fact that no commitment was made by a politician that a Distinguished Service Medal would be awarded.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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That is what they say.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The might say that but I absolutely assure the Deputy the Government made a commitment that it would consider what the men of Jadotville went through at the time. The awarding of a Distinguished Service Medal is provided for in DFR A9, which also sets out the criteria for the award of such medals. It is important that to maintain the prestige of such medals, the criteria outlined are strictly adhered to. The Deputy will agree that we should stick with the routine that if a Distinguished Service Medal is awarded, it is up to the military to recommend it to me as Minister of State. It should not be up to civilians to state someone deserves a Distinguished Service Medal. It is the military that makes the recommendation.