Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Thank you. All is forgiven. On 15 July 2021, the report of the independent review group into the siege of Jadotville was brought to the Seanad. The Minister at the time was quite taken aback by the response he got to that report. To say it was welcomed coolly would be to understate the situation. It was rejected by this House and by most who spoke. The Minister in his summing up stated, “There are also things on which we need to reflect over the summer and I certainly look forward to coming back to this House at the appropriate time when we can continue this debate.” Sometime after that, the Minister signed a Defence Forces regulation which provided for the award of a medal to Commandant Pat Quinlan, with which nobody would disagree. That regulation did away with the requirement for the person making the recommendation to actually witness the action and did away with the requirement for a time limit. As a result, Captain Noel Carey and two of his senior NCOs who survived Jadotville - Noel is the last surviving officer of Jadotville - resubmitted 34 recommendations for medals. I must make clear that at no stage have any of us who have advocated for the treatment of people from Jadotville said medals must be awarded to A, B, C or D. What we have said is that they must be entitled to an independent medals board. If a group of people who did not witness the events in Jadotville can make a recommendation, then surely if we have three people who submitted 34 recommendations and who witnessed the events on the ground, those recommendations must also be recognised.