Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The fourth important matter comes from Deputy Ó Snodaigh. The Deputy wishes to discuss due recognition of the bravery of Irish Defence Forces members at Jadotville, an issue in which the Irish public has had a great interest for some time.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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In issuing the Jadotville medal in December 2017, the State took the first step towards righting a 56-year-old wrong against the men of A Company 35th Infantry Battalion, who served with distinction under fire in the Congo in 1961. Shortly before the medal was presented to the surviving men and to the families of those who had passed since the men returned to Ireland in 1961, one of the survivors, John Gorman, said:

The families of the deceased members worry me because they should get an apology from the government for what was done. Their fathers and brothers went to their graves branded as cowards.

We should be thankful that, due to the efforts of John Gorman, other soldiers, supporters, the publication of books on the episode and Richie Smyth's brilliant film "The Siege of Jadotville", based on Declan Power's book, nobody can be in any doubt about the scale of the bravery and courage of the 158 men under the leadership of Commandant Pat Quinlan when besieged by several thousand members of the Katangese forces. Neither would anybody be in any doubt about the unworthy man who was a UN official at the time, Conor Cruise O'Brien. The collective bravery of the men of A Company and the foresight of Commandant Quinlan ensured that no soldier lost his life during the four-day siege and that, in fact, the unit inflicted great casualties on the attacking forces, including 300 dead and nearly 1,000 wounded, no thanks to Conor Cruise O'Brien and the UN, who were supposed to have their back.

I am asking the Minister of State to intervene because next year marks 60 years since the attack on this small UN force stationed in a small outpost at Jadotville in the then Katanga region of the Congo. The citations from Commandant Quinlan recommended the issuing of 27 distinguished service medals and five military medals for gallantry. It is worth remembering the circumstances of what occurred. The unit of 158 soldiers included many teenagers. John Gorman was 17 at the time and he recalled the chaplain, Joseph Fagan, giving the soldiers the last rites in the defensive trenches they had dug around their outpost. In the understatement of the century, he has said it was "a bit scary". The detachment was ill-equipped for the mission and abandoned to face a vastly numerically superior force. As another survivor, Noel Carey, recalled, after four days in the 100° F heat under fire:

We had to work very hard on morale to try and get some of the lads together because it was probably the biggest shock we had. We didn’t expect to be attacked, we didn’t expect to be mortared, we didn’t expect to be machine-gunned but by God we never expected that we were going to be attacked by a jet aircraft.

Noel Carey also quotes Captain Liam Donnelly as saying, "There was just chaos in the beginning", and: "The NCOs were brilliant and they were able to retaliate and fire back.” Carey has also said:

[We] were having a pretty heavy night. It was the first time the lads had been under fire. They were jittery

That is the context but Noel Carey also said afterwards: "Pat Quinlan saved all our skins and brought all his troops safely. He just didn’t get the credit he should have got."

This was a reflection of good military training, discipline and leadership and a testimony to the calibre of the men in question. They did not deserve the disrespect they got when they returned, their second abandonment. As Regimental Sergeant Major Noel O'Callaghan has previously stated, we should "have the moral courage to right this wrong of the past". It is time to issue these much-deserved medals to at least the 32 men recommended by Commandant Quinlan.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Unfortunately, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, is unable to be present due to previous commitments and has asked me to respond to the Deputy.

The siege of Jadotville was a prominent event that occurred during Ireland's peacekeeping mission in Congo in September 1961, as the Deputy outlined. A Company 35th Infantry Battalion took responsibility for the UN post at Jadotville on 3 September 1961. On 9 September, a large force of Katangese Gendarmerie surrounded them and, early on the morning of 13 September, A Company came under attack. From 13 to 17 September, they endured an almost continuous attack. They were taken into captivity on 17 September and remained in captivity until 25 October 1961.

With regard to the men of A Company 35th Infantry Battalion, the issue of the award of medals was addressed in 1962 and again in 1965. A properly constituted medals board considered the various cases presented. The board did not award any medals whose citation mentioned Jadotville. The then Chief of Staff considered the decision of the board and was satisfied with the findings. Subsequently, the question was raised in a letter to the newly appointed Chief of Staff. He forwarded the letter to the original medals board and asked that it reconvene and review its decision. The board indicated that the issues raised had received due consideration and it was not prepared to alter its findings.

A review was conducted in 2004 by military officers for the purpose of a broader examination of the Jadotville case. This board recommended that the events of Jadotville and the contribution of the 35th Infantry Battalion be given recognition. In this context, a number of measures have taken place to honour and commemorate the events at Jadotville and the very significant contribution of A Company and the 35th Infantry Battalion as a whole to the UN peace-support mission in the Congo. Recognition of their contribution over the years includes a presentation of scrolls to A Company in 2006 and portraits of Lieutenant Colonel McNamee, 35th Battalion Commander, and Commandant Quinlan, Company Commander, A Company, were commissioned in 2006. In July 2010, the 50th anniversary of the first deployment to the Congo, there was commemoration at a highly publicised and well-attended event in Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel. A nominal roll of A Company, printed in copper, was affixed to the monument in Custume Barracks and was unveiled as part of the 50th anniversary of the Jadotville affair in September 2011. On the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the siege of Jadotville, a unit citation to honour the collective actions and bravery of the men of A Company was issued. This was the first time a unit citation was awarded within the Defence Forces.

Furthermore, on 13 June 2017, the Government committed, as an exceptional step, to awarding a medal known as "An Bonn Jadotville", or the Jadotville medal, to each member of A Company 35th Infantry Battalion, and to the family representatives of deceased members to give full and due recognition in honour of their courageous actions at the siege of Jadotville. This specially commissioned medal was procured to fully recognise and honour their courageous actions during the siege. The words inscribed on the medal, "cosaint chalma" and "misneach", meaning "valiant defence" and "courage", were carefully chosen to pay tribute to the courageous men of A Company.

With regard to inquiries about additional medals, the award of distinguished service medals and military medals for gallantry are provided for in Defence Forces Regulation A9. This regulation sets out the criteria for such medals. It is important that, in order to maintain the prestige of such medals, the criteria be adhered to strictly. The introduction of any change to the regulations or the criteria for the award of distinguished service medals and military medals for gallantry is not a straightforward matter, and there are many associated complexities. Robust consideration must be given to any potential unintended consequences arising, such as those associated with maintaining the integrity of the award-of-medals system and the implications for previous decisions of properly constituted military medals boards.

The availability of documentary evidence and official records also represents a challenge in this case. It has been previously indicated that any additional documentation, information or evidence to support the request to award medals will be considered. At this juncture, with no new information having come to light, there would not be a cause for the matter to be re-examined. Notwithstanding this, the issue is receiving further consideration. The Chief of Staff is currently considering the matter in the context of the award of medals and the possible implications for the integrity of the award-of-medals system. It should be noted that the Secretary General of the Department of Defence is meeting retired Commandant Leo Quinlan shortly to discuss these matters and has requested that if he has any new information on the matter, he should submit it in advance of the meeting or bring it with him so it may be considered further.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Tá brón orm nach bhfuil an tAire, an Teachta Coveney, anseo. I knew in advance that this was the type of answer I would get, that is, that there were two properly constituted medals boards convened by two chiefs of staff and that issuing the deserved medals may undermine the prestige of the medals or have unintended consequences. That is the same trash that is quoted continuously. Regarding unintended consequences, the authorities have had nearly 60 years to come up with a way to address them. Not so long ago, the Government and Houses of the Oireachtas found it to be within their ability to pardon deserters from the Defence Forces who joined the British Army during the Second World War. Surely it is not beyond us, therefore, to give due recognition to the bravest of the brave, as recommended by the late Commandant Pat Quinlan. How can the prestige of the medal be undermined by giving it to the very men for whom it was designed? It was designed after the incident. It should not be beyond the military authorities to accept that they made and make mistakes. It does not undermine their authority or command structure. It still allows for military discipline and comradeship. It should never be seen as a sign of weakness. In fact, it should be seen as a sign of strength to admit an error. Correcting the record is better than living a lie. I ask the Minister of State to announce that the medals will be issued soon before any more of the ageing men pass away without deserved recognition from the military authority, which should, in the first place, have saluted them when they returned to Ireland rather than turning their back on them.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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I have listened to the Deputy's response. It is regrettable that he would refer to a contribution made by me as trash considering that I spent a lifetime believing that the members of our Defence Forces are some of the bravest people and that they defend our country in all circumstances. They defend it on peacekeeping missions and have defended it at home for many years in support of the civil power. Having acknowledged fully many of the concerns the Deputy raised, I believe it is regrettable that he would refer to my contribution or parts of it as trash.

Notwithstanding all the situations I outlined, the matter is receiving further consideration. As I said, the Chief of Staff is currently considering the matter in the context of the award of medals and the possible implications for the medals system. I mentioned that the Secretary General of the Department of Defence is meeting retired Commandant Leo Quinlan to discuss the matter. It is important to realise that action is being taken. On behalf of the Minister, I take this opportunity to recall the valuable contribution made by all who served in the various Irish contingents in the Congo between 1960 and 1964 during the UN peace support mission. Ireland can be justifiably proud of all its brave men and women who have contributed to the cause of peace and security.