Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for his contribution. I fully share the admiration and respect of the Minister of State and Senators Mooney, Whelan, Quinn and Ó Clochartaigh for our Defence Forces and the very difficult work they have been doing for quite some time. As we know there are a number of different warring factions in the regions who, as has been outlined, have caused great upset at times to our forces who are trying to keep the peace in that area. In more recent times the group known as ISIS or ISIL has advanced into the area. I understand, following a recent incident in the region which endangered our peacekeeping mission, the withdrawal of our forces to the Israeli side took place.

The participation of members of the Irish Defence Forces in UN peacekeeping missions across the globe for over 50 years has enhanced this nation's image abroad. Members of the Irish Defence Forces on peacekeeping duties in trouble spots around the world have saved countless lives. I am sure I speak for every Member of the House when I pay tribute to the thousands of men and women of the Irish Defence Forces who have served as UN peacekeepers over decades and mention those Irish soldiers who have lost their lives serving our country on UN duty and the families they left behind.

For 40 years UNDOF has supervised the implementation of the engagement agreement with Israel and Syria along the Golan Heights. It has helped to maintain peace and stability, not only along the volatile border but also in the entire Middle East region. Any armed conflict in the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria has always had the potential to spark a wider regional conflict and, as we know, because of the advancement of ISIS or ISIL and the dangerous situation which is developing on the Turkish and Syrian border, the mission in which we have engaged is all the more important. Thankfully, we are not involved on the Turkish and Syrian side.

Since September 2013, members of the Irish Defence Forces have been deployed on the UNDOF mission and have excelled in the role of a quick reaction force. The ongoing civil war in Syria has had a profound effect on UNDOF. The breakdown of law and order across Syria and the emergence of a number of different armed rebel groups, many with very different objectives, now fighting against Syrian Government troops has made a volatile region very unstable. UN peacekeeping forces in the region have been drawn into incidents as a result of the ongoing conflict.

Members of the Defence Forces played a key role in securing the safe extraction of fellow peacekeepers in August.

Given the ongoing civil war in Syria, the Minister for Defence, Deputy Simon Coveney, recently requested that the UN fundamentally reviews the capacity of the mission. Accordingly, he has been involved in discussions with the UN on this and the UN Security Council was briefed on the mission in detail on 17 September by the UN Secretary General. There has now been a fundamental realignment of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force mission, UNDOF, on the Golan Heights to reflect the changing situation. UNDOF’s headquarters, including the Irish contingent, has been relocated to the Israeli side of the zone of operation, a practical and understandable move. The Government has confirmed the Defence Forces will continue to participate in the mission. Accordingly, the 46th Infantry Group has been deployed to it.

Ireland has established a worldwide reputation for its commitment to UN peacekeeping of which we can all be proud. It is important to recognise, however, that this role involves Irish men and women, serving the State, being sent to dangerous and hostile areas. I congratulate the Ministers, Deputies Coveney and Kehoe, for their actions on this and their willingness to delay the deployment of the next contingent until the UN Security Council examined the mission and started the process of adopting its operations on the ground to take account of incidents over the summer. I thank the troops now returning from their mission for their service and wish those replacing them all the best for a safe and successful six months.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the House for extending the time for this debate and the Minister of State for making himself available. I commend the Ministers, Deputies Coveney and Kehoe, for their efforts in this regard.

I come from an Army town in the north west with Finner Camp on our doorstep. For many generations, people from my area have served the country loyally in a variety of international missions, as well as with Border responsibilities during the height of the Troubles. We are all very proud of those who have served, as well as the employment it has given across the north west. We all join in welcoming home the 44th Infantry Group today and wishing the 46th Infantry Group well which departed this morning. I am pleased the Minister was there to welcome them home in the early hours of this morning. That is as it should be.

I appreciate the Minister has said he is keeping the situation under review from a safety perspective. However, as an Irish person and as someone from a town with a long association with the military, we are proud that we are playing a role in an international context, particularly in peacekeeping in difficult areas.

The Minister of State will also be aware, and I wish to put on the record of the House, that I had contact with the Taoiseach in June 2014 having been contacted by the wife of a man who had served his country for more than 30 years in more than 13 missions throughout the world on behalf of the Irish Army and whose family were concerned that he was to be subjected to a medical discharge against his will. We contacted the Taoiseach as this lady wished to meet him to discuss the situation. As the man has cancer, the Taoiseach kindly wrote back and said that the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, would be prepared to follow up the case and meet the lady in question. Deputy Kehoe kindly contacted me and I put him in direct contact with the lady in question. He gave her a commitment that the man would not be medically discharged. He also gave me the same commitment in person. I am not mentioning names at the express wish of the family at this point. An official from his office contacted the lady just before a review scheduled for 22 July to assure her that her husband would not be getting his P45.

The man subsequently went to the review on 22 July but was informed it was not a review and he was to be discharged. Since then, there has been much correspondence between me, the Minister and the Taoiseach but nothing of substance has come back other than those parrot-like responses that emanate from Departments when they do not know what to say. It was the basic acknowledgments from the office of the Minister of State and the Taoiseach in terms of return phone calls and to the effect that the situation was being looked into. The man was discharged on Monday of this week having served 37 years in the military and been on 13 missions, on the last of which he was diagnosed with cancer. The Norwegian doctor facilitating that mission had to fight with the Irish authorities to repatriate him which ultimately happened but he has been ill since. Without any medical review by the medical corps this man was discharged. This was despite the Minister of State giving me and the man’s wife his word this would not happen.

I hope the proud and brave soldiers of the 44th Infantry Group who came home last night do not have to look forward to the same. Is it standard practice that if a soldier does not recover from cancer quick enough that he or she will be discharged from the military after 37 years of service?

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I have given the Senator a fair bit of latitude so far. I must ask him conclude.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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You have, Acting Chairman. I know Senator Leyden does not mind.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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Sorry Senator, this is statements on Army participation in the UNDOF mission on the Golan Heights.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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The Senator is speaking to a different matter.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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Lieutenant Colonel Concannon wrote to the GP of the individual in question and assured him that when the review came up that it would not impose any further stress on the said soldier. What a joke. This line beggars belief. The man in question continues to fight cancer-----

John Whelan (Labour)
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On a point of order, Acting Chairman.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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-----and despite the personal assurances of the Minister of State to the individual’s wife on behalf of the Government. He also gave me the same commitment. Now they have been cast aside.

John Whelan (Labour)
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On a point of order, Acting Chairman.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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Is this what the soldiers of the 44th Infantry Group who returned from the Golan Heights today have to look forward from the Government?

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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Senator MacSharry, please respect the Chair.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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Will they be cast aside just because they are ill after 37 years’ service? Is the Government proud of this?

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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Senator MacSharry, please respect the Chair and resume your seat.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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The Senator is abusing the situation.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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And rightly so because the Minister of State abused 37 years of service, as did the Senator's Government.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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The family in question has an entitlement. No doubt their names will come out in due course. The Taoiseach and the Minister of State know the people in question. Does the Minister of State know this lady? Does he know her commitment to the military?

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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The Senator is abusing the situation.

John Whelan (Labour)
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This is an abuse.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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Her first husband was killed in the Lebanon? Do you know that?

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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Senator MacSharry, please respect the Chair.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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This is the treatment we stand over. After 37 years of service and despite the Minister of State’s commitment, this man is thrown to the wolves. He is told the best of luck with his illness but we do not want him.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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Senator MacSharry, please resume your seat.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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Is this some sort of cynical cost-saving measure? Did the Minister actually try to make the matter worse?

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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If the Senator does not resume his seat, I will have to suspend the House.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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It deserves to be suspended for such an abuse by the Government of people who give their lives for the State. The Minister can throw his eyes up to heaven all he likes.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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Senator, resume your seat.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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The Minister can throw his eyes up to heaven all he likes because that is all he is good for.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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Senator, resume your seat. I call Senator Whelan on a point of order.

John Whelan (Labour)
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We are discussing a specific motion. The Government side generously extended time to facilitate what were deemed to be legitimate contributions on this motion. The matter Senator MacSharry has chosen to raise would be more appropriate to the Adjournment. It is an abuse of the House.

Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome home the 130 troops from the 44th Infantry Group who served so gallantly in the Golan Heights. Their mission was extended because of a security situation there. I am delighted the Minister, Deputy Coveney, got the opportunity to welcome them home this morning at Casement Aerodrome which was a nice gesture. I was most impressed with the welcome by the families and friends which was broadcast on “Morning Ireland”. We are very fortunate to have such good representatives under RACO, the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, and the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA. I commend all men and women of the 44th and wish the 46th every success on its tour of duty. We have one of the best-trained armies in the world. I witnessed its work at first hand during an election mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina several years ago.

We should be very proud of our Army personnel’s achievement in the UNDOF mission. They were in a very sensitive area and acted courageously. It is only appropriate the Houses should extend a warn céad míle fáilte home.

I wish the 46 members every success and safety in the Golan Heights.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I thank everybody for their contributions. I am not sure if some of the Senators were here for the start of this debate and the start of my contributions. I think everyone on all sides of the House has huge respect for the Irish Defence Forces and it is unfortunate that a Senator had to come in here and show his disrespect for the people who return-----

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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Well that is rich coming from the Minister of State. He should ask the woman to whom he and Mr. O'Doherty in his office gave the commitment. He is a disgrace to the military.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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Senator MacSharry should withdraw the word "disgrace".

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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He should resign if that is the way he treats the military.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I am asking Senator MacSharry to withdraw the word "disgrace".

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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There is no question whatsoever of me withdrawing the word "disgrace". I assure the Chair that it is used only because I cannot think of a stronger word that clearly underlines the treatment of the family of which the Government is well aware.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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Senator MacSharry is showing disrespect to the Chair and the House.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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I am not showing any disrespect to anyone. I have a real respect for our military. This Minister of State has none given what he did to the person who was medically discharged last Monday, despite his personal commitment.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I have asked the Minister of State to conclude these statements and I ask Senator MacSharry to respect the Chair and the decision of the Chair and of this House.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I thank the people who did show respect for the members who came home last night and the members who departed yesterday for the Golan Heights. I wish them the very best of luck. I will not go into any individual case in this House but as I have respect for the family, the personnel and the people-----

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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They are watching on the Internet. The Minister of State can say "Hello" to them. They have been looking for him for months.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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There have been appropriate representations through the family and the Department on this issue. The gentleman involved has been quite ill for quite some time so I respect that. I know there has been dialogue with the family on this issue as recently as Tuesday this week. Perhaps Senator MacSharry was not aware of that but I was warned about the Senator's behaviour by another person on this issue so I will leave it at that.