Delays in Rooney investigation ‘deeply unsatisfactory’

Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin has written to the Lebanese government and the United Nations to raise concerns over “deeply unsatisfactory” delays in the investigation into the killing of Private Seán Rooney in late 2022.

Responding to questions from Sinn Féin TD Réada Cronin at the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, Mr Martin said he is “anxious for the UN to become proactive”.

He said during his visit to the region last month he was told that the “chief suspect” in the case was unable to attend previous hearings, and that the case has now been delayed “for the seventh time” until February 2025.

“Both I and the Government have consistently expressed our determination that all facts are established and no stone is left unturned,” Mr Martin said, adding that Private Rooney’s family and “Ireland as a whole” deserves answers as to what happened.

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Private Rooney – who was 23 and from Newtowncunningham in Co Donegal – was killed and three others wounded after a UNIFIL convoy came under fire in south Lebanon a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group

Mr Martin also told the committee that while there are “no plans to evacuate personnel” from the long-standing mission in Lebanon, the situation “remains fluid”.

The Fianna Fáil leader said that Ireland has a lengthy and respected history of involvement in the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon, and that this is due to continue.

344 Irish troops are based in south Lebanon, in addition to 33 more troops who are due to be deployed in the region in the coming weeks.

The committee also heard that it is the Tánaiste’s “intention” to bring a new bill seeking potential changes to Ireland’s triple lock system for deploying troops abroad to cabinet before the end of July, and that he would like to outline the potential changes “before the summer recess”.

When asked about whether that timeline is feasible, he said: “I’m conscious the Oireachtas recess is two weeks away, Government recess is up to the end of July, so I may make that”.

He said if this timeline is not reached, the potential changes will be tabled “in the first weeks of September”.

Mr Martin stressed that in his view any changes to the triple lock – which ensures any deployment of more than 12 Irish troops abroad can only take place if there is a United Nations mandate, either from the Security Council or General Assembly, alongside Government and Dáil approval – has “no connection” to claims of changes to Ireland’s military neutrality, which the Tánaiste said will remain.

Any potential plans will be the subject of “pre-legislative scrutiny before they go to the committee”, he added, but did not clarify when asked if this will also include a public consultation process.