Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 24: To ask the Minister for Defence his policy with respect to courtesy calls from foreign military personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25650/05]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 49: To ask the Minister for Defence if he had any arrangement to meet the chief of staff of the USA armed forces during his visit here in July 2005; if so, the reason this arrangement was cancelled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25649/05]

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 60: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will clarify the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of a courtesy meeting with the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, General Richard Myers, in July 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25792/05]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 24, 49 and 60 together.

Visits to and from the chiefs of staff of armed forces of other countries are primarily a matter for the Army Chief of Staff. From time to time, courtesy calls from visiting foreign military personnel are arranged with me, subject to the demands of my schedule. The purpose of the trip to Ireland of the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff of the US armed forces, General Myers, was as a return visit to the Army Chief of Staff who visited Washington DC on 31 March 2005. A courtesy call to me at my office in the Department of Defence was scheduled as part of General Myers's itinerary on Wednesday, 20 July last. Some weeks before I learned of General Myers's visit, however, I committed to inspecting the military barracks at Longford and Mullingar as part of my programme of nationwide barracks inspections. Such visits are important as they give me an opportunity to meet and talk to many of the core staff of the Defence Forces. I was ill on the day, unfortunately, and travelled to the midlands against the advice of my doctor. As my visits to the barracks went considerably behind schedule, I was unable to return to Dublin in time to receive General Myers's courtesy call. My regrets were conveyed to General Myers by the Secretary General of the Department of Defence and the Army Chief of Staff, who was hosting the visit. I am disappointed that embarrassment was caused to General Myers by the over-zealous reporting of certain sections of the media in respect of an unavoidable clash of engagements compounded by illness. The media has made offensive suggestions about why the meeting did not take place. Such suggestions are without foundation. Ireland and the United States are bound by historical and family ties. We are reminded by the historic events this week of the value of our close and abiding friendship with the US.