Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like other Senators, I commend our brave and courageous peacekeepers in Lebanon. I welcome the news reports today of fresh advice from the Attorney General to Government on the occupied territories Bill. I do think it would be appropriate that we would have an early debate as soon as that advice becomes publicly available.

Today I want to specifically echo the calls of the families of our peacekeepers. They have been publicly asking the telecommunications service providers Vodafone, Eir and Three to provide free calls and roaming to our soldiers in Lebanon. There are more than 350 of them now. The families are very confident that the troops - their sons and daughters - are well trained, competent, professional, courageous and brave. The families really want to know and hear that as often as possible. They have made an appeal to the Three mobile service provider. Other international mobile service providers have facilitated a waiving of charges for other troops internationally. I ask the House to join and support the parents' call for the mobile phone operators to provide free roaming and calls to all of our troops deployed in the Middle East.