Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last week, I was invited to Portsmouth for the commemoration of D-Day. From the moment I entered the commemoration area, everything I could possibly want was laid out for me.It got to the point that somebody came to me with suntan oil to protect my head. The reason for this was that I was wearing a veteran's badge. Contrast that with what happened at Blacksod the following day when the Defence Forces were supposed to have a ship in the bay and there was supposed to be a fly-past over the lighthouse. Hours before that was to take place, approval was withdrawn by somebody junior, I believe, in the Department of Foreign Affairs saying that to commemorate the weather forecast that led to D-Day taking place would in some way jeopardise our neutrality. What sort of nonsense are we going on with?

In July, we will commemorate Private Billy Kedian in Ballyhaunis. I requested an Army band, tents and an honour guard. The first reply I got was that I would have to indemnify the Minister to the tune of €6.5 million. The second reply I got was that there would be no band but we could have a bugle and a drum. The third one I got was that there would be no honour guard. Billy Kedian lost his life saving 14 of his colleagues in 1999. I ask all Senators to apply as much pressure as they can. There are many hundreds of veterans who want to go and commemorate Billy and his family want to be there.

Billy Kedian lost his life saving his comrades but we never gave him a medal. We do not give medals in this country. We had Jadotville and the Niemba ambush. I could go on about what we do not do for our veterans. It is wrong in every sense of the word. In Portsmouth, people were out in their thousands. There were military bands, the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy and the British Army. All were represented. There were young soldiers, navy and airforce personnel meeting people at the gate. They helped the old and infirm to their chair and if people were in a wheelchair, they would either push it or carry it. That is respect for veterans. The Leader has served and I know she will feel for a Mayoman. Three graves away from Billy Kedian lies a soldier who lost his life in Vietnam and a battleship has been named after him. Do we not understand honour in this country?

I congratulate the winning group of the local elections, the Independents. What a wonderful day we had.