Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish all of the women of Ireland, including my eight sisters, my mother, my granddaughters, my wife, my daughter and my cousins, a great St. Brigid's day. I hope they really have a good day. I hope that we learn something from all of this welcoming of St. Brigid and Lá Fhéile Bríd, and all of this. I do not think we have over the years.

Anyway, now to get down to the serious issues. I have mentioned Jadotville in this House for the best part of eight years. We have a report that has, largely, been rejected by the families of those whose fathers and brothers were recommended for military honours.

After the debate in the Seanad with the then Minister, Deputy Coveney, after the publication of Jadotville independent review group report, I was under the impression that no action would be taken. I was quite taken aback to find that a new Defence Forces regulation, DFR, has been written, and that this Defence Forces regulation provided for two things. It amended the requirement for a person to have actually witnessed what had taken place in order to make a recommendation for a military honour or a medal. It also lifted the time bar. The independent review group specifically deals with one person, the late Commandant Pat Quinlan, a man deserving of a military medal for gallantry. I believe that most of us agree with that. However, the last surviving commissioned officer, retired Captain Noel Carey, and two of the last surviving senior NCOs have now submitted to the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces 34 recommendations for medals. If one can waive the timeframe and waive the requirement to actually have witnessed the event, then surely the recommendations of those who actually saw what happened would carry a weight that should be respected. We are not saying, and never have said, that all 34 should get medals. We are saying that they should have been afforded a proper medals board. I am aware that the Leader herself wore the uniform and she will understand that we should respect military honours. A man from the Leader's own county, Billy Kedian who died in the Lebanon has never been properly honoured by the State, and there are several more. I am again starting the campaign to get the Chief of Staff to go back over the last 100 years to look at every action and see who is entitled to be recognised.