Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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68. To ask the Minister for Defence to report on his recent visit to the Golan Heights to meet Irish troops serving on the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force mission and to south Lebanon to visit Irish troops serving on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon mission; and if he had any other engagements during this visit. [2789/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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During the period 20 to 22 December 2015, I accompanied the Taoiseach on a visit to Lebanon and Israel. The visit afforded us an opportunity to see, at first hand, the tremendous work done overseas by the Irish Defence Forces. On the 21st and 22nd December respectively, we met with Defence Forces personnel serving as part of a joint Finnish/Irish battalion with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in south Lebanon and personnel serving with the 50th Infantry Group with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) based in Camp Ziouani on the Israeli side of the area of separation. I conveyed to the personnel of both contingents our deep appreciation for the outstanding manner in which they continue to perform their duties on overseas service.

The itinerary for the visit to Lebanon also included a meeting with the UNIFIL Force Commander, Major General Luciano Portolano of Italy and the Lebanese Prime Minister, Mr. Tammam Salam.

In the course of the visit, I took the opportunity to raise the issue of the murders of Private Thomas Barrett and Private Derek Smallhorne and the serious wounding of Private John O’Mahony while serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on 18 April 1980, and the ongoing trial of the alleged perpetrator Mr Mahmoud Bazzi. I highlighted the Irish Government's continued strong commitment and interest in progressing this case.

During the visit to the UNDOF area of operations, we met with the UNDOF Force Commander, Major General Thapa from Nepal and with the Deputy Force Commander, Brigadier General Anthony Hanlon from Ireland.

During the visit to both missions, we received briefings on the current situation in the region and the important work the Defence Forces are undertaking in the Middle East in the cause of international peace.