Defence Forces Syria delay
Deputy Brendan Howlin raised the delayed return of 119 Defence Forces personnel from Syria after an administrative paperwork error. The Taoiseach apologised, explained the diplomatic clearance problems involved, and said the deployment would be extended by two weeks with compensation and leave adjustments.
The Taoiseach is the Minister for Defence, and the programme for Government commits the Government to the improvement of the welfare of our military. Today, 119 members of the 57th Infantry Group who were due to arrive home in Dublin today are stuck in Syria. They have worked on the Golan Heights for the past six months and have their own tales to tell about their equipment and so on. These people were due home today to their families, many of whom have paid for holidays. They are now told that because of an administrative error in the paperwork, which did not allow them to transit Lebanon, they will be stuck in Syria for another two weeks. The Department of Defence is blaming the Army. The Army is blaming the Department of Defence. How could it be, when the beginning and end of this deployment was known, that the proper paperwork could not be done to ensure these people who have served the State so well could not be brought home to their families in time?
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I understand this is a very unfortunate situation and I extend my apologies to those members of the Defence Forces who have been affected. They will now rotate. It seems they will come home on 16 October, so it will be a two-week extension to the deployment. The Defence Forces are providing a €1,000 ex gratia gratuity to each member affected to defray any costs that may arise. Also, annual leave will be changed to allow people to take their leave at a different point.
Every effort is being made across the defence organisation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our embassy in Cairo to resolve this issue-----
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-----and the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, has been in direct contact with our honorary consul in Beirut, Georges Siam. It happened because military flights require specific diplomatic clearance from all countries through whose airspace they fly. These clearances require prior notification, are time limited and must all be aligned to allow the flight to proceed.
In the case of UNDOF, additional clearances for the transit of military forces through Lebanon and Syria and to cross the Syrian border are also required. This involves multiple countries, some with unstable administrations, with which both the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have successfully co-ordinated over many missions.
Following receipt of all the required diplomatic clearances for the flight to rotate the Defence Forces contingent in UNDOF on Tuesday, 2 October, an issue arose unexpectedly in regard to the clearances on Monday morning. As soon as it was known, the personnel and their families were contacted and advised of the issue and the extension of the rotation. I can provide the Deputy with a more detailed explanation in writing.