Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 November 2016
483. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the source of information provided on pages 109 and 111 of the independent review lead by a person (details supplied) pertaining to the deaths of three Irish soldiers in the Lebanon in 1989. [32547/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 19 April 2011, Mr. Frank Callanan, SC, was commissioned to carry out an independent review into matters relevant to the deaths of Corporal Fintan Heneghan, Private Mannix Armstrong and Private Thomas Walsh on 21 March 1989 while serving with the 64th Infantry Battalion, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Mr. Callanan’s warrant of appointment, signed by the then Minister for Defence, directed that the reviewer be facilitated in any requests he may have had in the course of his review for access to facilities, personnel and documentation. The Terms of Reference for the review also specified that the reviewer be provided with access to all available documentation relevant to the events or to the service in UNIFIL of the 64th Infantry Battalion and any other documentation requested by the reviewer.
The report had a very wide remit in terms of consultation with serving/retired personnel and institutions such as Military Archives and does not provide source references. In conducting his review, Mr. Callanan obtained information and documentation from a number of sources, including Military Archives, unit history and unit journals pertaining to the 64th Infantry Battalion and material provided directly by a number of witnesses including current and former members of the Defence Forces. A list of these witnesses is provided in Appendix 2 of Mr. Callanan’s review, which was published on 19 September 2011. Mr. Callanan has advised my Department that he did not retain any records that could shed light on the Deputy’s questions beyond what is contained in the Independent Review itself.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere sympathies to the families of Corporal Heneghan and Privates Armstrong and Walsh.
