Paperwork error keeps Irish soldiers overseas
The association which represents enlisted soldiers here has called for an in-depth investigation into who was responsible for a debacle which has left 119 troops waiting another two weeks before they can fly home to see their loved ones.
The soldiers were due to come home yesterday, having served with the UN in the Golan Heights for the past six months.
However, a paperwork error, which was not the fault of the Defence Forces, seems to be responsible for them being unable to fly out of Lebanon.
Minister with responsibility for defence, Paul Kehoe, said an issue arose “unexpectedly” with diplomatic clearances last Monday morning.
He maintained every effort was made by the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs to resolve this, but it didn’t happen.
“I have been in direct contact with our honorary consul in Beirut, Georges Siam, in order to try to resolve the situation,” said Mr Kehoe.
He said it is now planned to have the troops home by Tuesday, October 16, with a replacement battalion flying out the day before.
Mr Kehoe said he was “acutely aware” of the impact that this unfortunate delay is having on both the soldiers and their families.
He said he would give each soldier a €1,000 ex gratia payment in recognition of the disruption caused.
PDForra general secretary Gerard Guinan said they must get answers about why this incident occurred.
“It has to be answered and cannot be allowed to happen again,” he said, and pointed out that incidents like this are “just adding to the disillusionment” of poorly paid Defence Forces members.
“I have travelled overseas on four separate missions and I can safely say that the last week before your return home is an anxious week for you. You are high with adrenalin because of your return. It is going to be extremely difficult for those troops to get back into mission mode for the next two weeks,” said Mr Guinan.
PDForra president Mark Keane said: “We need a full and thorough investigation into this. We are led to believe it is an administrative failure. We are waiting to be briefed by the Department (of Defence) officials to address this problem.”
The delay drew stinging criticism from Opposition defence spokespersons in the Dáil yesterday.
Fianna Fáil TD Jack Chambers said he has received emails from “devastated” families of serving members who are upset at the delay in seeing their loved ones who have already been away for six months.
“There is massive dismay and disappointment about the mess in the Department of Defence, and the way in which they handled this process. They didn’t follow proper diplomatic protocol, the HR section of the Department of Defence have clearly made a fundamental error in terms of the organisational process around this flight home.”
“There was mess-up with diplomatic protocol and it is important that there is proper political oversight for that. This wasn’t just any average mess-up, it was a clear error from the Department of Defence,” he said.
Deputy Aengus O’Snodaigh described the situation as a “department cock-up”, but said the clarity afforded by the new departure date was at least welcome.
Mr Kehoe denied the error was within his department’s HR section.
