Golan Heights troops delayed homecoming
Deputy Howlin raised the repeated failure to bring home Defence Forces personnel from the Golan Heights and blamed the Government for not securing the necessary clearances. The Tánaiste said the delay arose from UN and Lebanese landing-clearance issues, stressed the circumstances differed from October, and promised to get the soldiers home as soon as possible.
For the second time in six months, Irish soldiers have been let down by the Government. After a six-month tour of duty on a UN mission to the Golan Heights, 130 soldiers were due home today, as the Tánaiste knows. Once again, however, the Government has failed to secure all the necessary clearances for them to travel home to their families. This happened in October, and that was a disgrace. For it to happen a second time is beyond excusable.
Comment on this
Families naturally want to be reunited after a six-month absence. Children have travelled to Dublin today to meet their parents again and some family members have booked holidays for tomorrow and the day after. For the second time, all of those plans have been put awry. What explanation can the Government give for a second monumental failure of this sort?
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After what happened in October, surely it should have ensured that nothing like it could happen again. When will these soldiers be repatriated?
Comment on this
I can understand the frustration of very many families, but it is important that we deal with the facts. The circumstances are not the same as what happened in October. In this instance, the UN is responsible for organising the rotation flights to transfer the current United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF, contingent back to Ireland. We have been advised by the UN that the Lebanese authorities have not granted landing clearance in Beirut for the aircraft scheduled to transport the 58th Infantry Group back home. The Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, has been in direct contact with our ambassador to the UN, who is continuing to engage with UN officials at a very senior level to try to get this issue resolved quickly. Every effort is being made by Department of Defence officials, the Defence Forces and our diplomatically accredited staff at the UN to work to get the next UN flight.
To be clear, there was a paperwork problem in October where there was fault on our side. That is my understanding. That is not the case this time, however.
Comment on this
We should take responsibility for our own troops.
Comment on this
The Deputy knows, or at least he should, that that is not how these UN rotations work.