Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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89. To ask the Minister for Defence regarding reports that a person (details supplied) suspected of involvement in the killing of persons (details supplied) could go free under an amnesty covering crimes committed during the 1975 to 1990 Lebanese civil war, if he has established whether this is likely to happen; the action he is taking in relation to the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6330/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The matter to which the Deputy is referring is the case of the deaths of Private Thomas Barrett and Private Derek Smallhorne who were murdered, and Private John O’Mahony who was seriously injured while serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on 18 April 1980. In July 2014 the alleged perpetrator, Mr. Mahmoud Bazzi, was arrested by the United States of America’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Agency for administrative immigration violations. During his immigration court hearing in Detroit, on 11 August, Mr. Bazzi admitted that he entered the United States in 1994 without proper documentation. The Judge ruled that Mr. Bazzi be deported to Lebanon. Mr. Bazzi was finally deported from the United States to his native Lebanon on 30 January 2015. On arrival in Beirut, Mr. Bazzi was arrested and detained by the Lebanese authorities where he remains in custody. It is now a matter for the Lebanese authorities to investigate the case. The Irish Ambassador in the region is continuing to monitor developments in the case and is in contact with the Department of Defence.

Unfortunately, there are no provisions in Irish law, which provide a basis for Ireland to pursue a prosecution against the alleged perpetrator. Lebanon is the country with primary jurisdiction in this case. The Irish Government have requested the support of the Lebanese Government in seeking justice for the murdered Irish UNIFIL peacekeepers, should such action be feasible. During my visit to the Lebanon last December, I met with the Lebanese authorities at the most senior levels of Government and highlighted the Irish Government’s continued commitment and interest in progressing this case.

I am not in a position to state whether the alleged perpetrator will go free but I can state that we are committed to continuing to do everything possible to pursue justice for both men who lost their lives in the line of peacekeeping duty, and stand ready to provide whatever assistance possible to the Lebanese authorities in progressing this issue. However, it is a matter for the Lebanese authorities to investigate the case and to determine any future action in accordance with their National Legislation and judicial procedures.