Private Seán Rooney investigations
Deputy Cathal Berry seeks an update on the UN, Irish and Lebanese investigations into Private Seán Rooney’s killing. The Tánaiste says the family is enduring a long wait, the Garda report is nearly complete, and the UN reports are done.
I associate myself with some of the kind comments made this morning about Private Seán Rooney on the first anniversary of his death. I also convey my deepest sympathies to his family and wish Trooper Shane Kearney a speedy recovery who was seriously injured during the incident.
This time last year, three investigations were launched to look into the incident, one by the United Nations, one by the Irish authorities and one by the Lebanese authorities. In the short time available, will the Tánaiste update the House on the status of those investigations? How does he foresee the findings of those investigations being published? Does he have an update on the three investigations?
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The investigations into the killing of Private Seán Rooney.
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The United Nations one, the Irish one and the Lebanese one.
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The length of time these investigations are taking is distressing for the family. A further court case is imminent, as the Deputy will be aware, in the Lebanese judicial system. We have a lawyer in court monitoring it, who cannot intervene on behalf of our State. The Garda Síochána investigation is advanced for the purpose of preparing a report for the coroner. It is almost complete. Two UN reports are complete. One is the earlier investigative report for UNIFIL and the other is the UN board of inquiry report. I have written to the UN Secretary General to ask his permission to share the board of inquiry report with the family. I have also asked for internal work in the Defence Forces on an inquiry.