Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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30. To ask the Minister for Defence his response to the arrest in Lebanon of a suspect in the murder of two Irish soldiers in 1980; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6891/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The matter to which the Deputy is referring is the recent arrest and detention in Beirut by the Lebanese authorities of the alleged perpetrator of the murder of Privates Thomas Barrett and Derek Smallhorne and the attempted murder of Private John O’Mahony, while they were serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on 18 April 1980.

The alleged perpetrator, Mr. Mahmoud Bazzi, was returned to his native Lebanon on 30 January 2015, following deportation from the United States where he was residing. Removal proceedings were undertaken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He remains in custody in Lebanon.

This is a significant step in the pursuit of justice for Privates Thomas Barrett and Derek Smallhorne who lost their lives while on United Nations peacekeeping duty in Lebanon almost 35 years ago.  The arrest of the alleged perpetrator was an important day for the families and I wish to commend them for their continued commitment to securing justice for their loved ones. 

The Irish Government are aware that the Lebanese authorities have primary jurisdiction in terms of pursuing a prosecution against the alleged perpetrator. We 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 and it would be inappropriate for me to comment any further in the matter.