Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1467. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans to award military medals to members of "A" Coy 35th Infantry Batallion, ONUC, UN Congo that took part in the siege of Jadotville in recognition of the valour shown by these men during this siege; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19636/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with Defence Forces regulations the award of medals for bravery is time bound. These may not be awarded in any case unless a recommendation is made through the usual channels to the Chief of Staff, not later than two years in the case of the Military Medal for Gallantry, and not later than four years in the case of the Distinguished Service Medal, after the performance of the act in respect of which the recommendation is made. Such awards are made on the recommendation of a Military Board appointed by the Chief of Staff for the purpose of examining and reporting on every recommendation for an award. The issue of the award of medals to the men of "A" Company, 35th Infantry Battalion was comprehensively addressed in 1965. A properly constituted Medals Board considered the various cases presented and made a decision that no medals would be awarded. The Chief of Staff of the day considered the decision of the Board and was satisfied with the findings. Subsequently, the question was raised again in a letter to a newly appointed Chief of Staff. He forwarded the letter to the original Medals Board and asked that they reconvene and review their decision. The Board indicated that the issues raised had received due consideration and that they were not prepared to alter their findings.

A review was conducted in 2004 by military officers for the purpose of a broader examination of the Jadotville case. This Board recommended that the events of Jadotville and the contribution of the 35th Battalion be given recognition. In this context, a plaque was unveiled in November 2005 in Custume Barracks Athlone to commemorate the events at Jadotville and the very significant contribution of “A” Company and of the 35th Battalion, as a whole, to the UN Peace Support Mission in the Congo. There was also a range of actions which further recognised their contribution over subsequent years.

In September 2016, on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the Siege of Jadotville, I decided to issue a Unit Citation to honour the collective actions and bravery of the men of “A” Company. During the ceremony I presented a copy of the Citation to each member of the Unit or next-of-kin in the case of deceased members. This was the first time a Unit Citation was awarded within the Defence Forces and I was delighted to be able to formally recognise the brave actions of these men.

There are no plans to issue military medals to members of “A” Coy 35th Infantry Battalion. However, a further review of archival records is currently being undertaken by the military authorities. This will assist in informing any decisions regarding further recognition.