The deputy prime minister, Micheál Martin, is set to address the delays related to the trial of the only suspect held in connection to the late Pte Seán Rooney’s death, while on his impending visit to Lebanon during the weekend. Martin addressed the Defence Forces’ key representative group, PDForra, at their yearly gathering in Cavan on Wednesday, announcing his intent to advance the case and meet the soldiers serving in the Unifil global peacekeeping operation in Lebanon’s southern region.
At the age of 24, Pte Seán Rooney, a resident of Newtowncunningham, Co Donegal, was tragically killed in an assault on a convoy of Irish peacekeepers in Al-Aqbiya, a Lebanese village, in December 2022. Muhammad Ayyad, the sole individual arrested from an initial group of five suspects in connection with the assault, is facing multiple charges. Ayyad’s trial, which was postponed last December, owing to his lawyer’s claim of his ill health preventing attendance, has been rescheduled for the upcoming month.
Emphasising his keen interest in seeing justice served in relation to this case, Martin stated, “When I go to Lebanon this weekend, I will highlight this case and discuss the need for its advancement and achieving justice, with the Lebanese government’s ministers.” He asserted that this matter would be central to his visit, in tandem with meeting Irish Defence Force members now serving under challenging conditions, intensified due to the Gaza conflict and growing tensions between Israel and Hizbullah.
Regarding persistent recruitment and retention problems in the Defence Forces, Martin indicated that the Government is addressing numerous factors, which includes the extension of the mandatory retirement age of members, basic pay, and significant investments in equipment and facilities to enrich the appeal of various roles available. “To support this effort,” Martin said, “the retirement age is being raised, and will reach 62. The initial salary is nearly €40,000, matching many public service sectors, and with considerable further opportunities. We are making major investments across all army camps in the nation.”
At the Wednesday meeting, the hierarchy of PDForra recognised advancements made so far. Despite this acknowledgement, over 600 slots for private soldiers and more than 400 roles for corporals or similar ranks remain unfilled, revealed general secretary Ger Guinan. Due to an insufficient workforce, they encounter difficulties in suitably training new entrants. In addition, existing workforce members have been unable to take their entitled leave. Over the last five years, an astonishing 120,000 hours of leave have been forsaken due to the absence of an accommodating system for taking or compensating time-off.
Mr Guinan also pointed to a ‘boiling frustration’ regarding the execution of the Independent Review Group’s recommendation for a fresh, internal grievance procedure. This comes despite a consensus reached over a year ago, where all parties involved concur that the prevailing system is unsuitable and requires replacement.