The United Nations must make its reports into the death of Donegal soldier Private Sean Rooney available to his inquest, a solicitor representing his family has said.
The 24-year-old, from Newtowncunningham was killed while serving in Lebanon when his UN peacekeeping convoy was attacked in 2022.
The shooting near the town of Al-Aqbiya in the south of Lebanon, a stronghold of Hezbollah, resulted in the death of Private Rooney while Trooper Shane Kearney, 22, wsa badly wounded.
Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tanaiste Micheal Martin have expressed concern about “slow progress” in Lebanese court proceedings into the matter.
One of the suspects who was arrested over the killing was released on bail last year due to a medical condition while the Taoiseach expressed frustration that other suspects remain at large.
The Journal reports that at a hearing of Dublin District Coroner’s Court today, a solicitor representing Private Rooney’s family said he was a “a courageous soldier, a formidable friend, but most importantly – a much-loved son and a future husband”.
Darragh Mackin said issues have arisen around restrictions on the disclosure of information to the inquest from the UN.
He said the UN had an obligation to the client’s family, Ireland and the international community to make information available.
Mackin said: “Full and frank disclosure from the UN must not be a request, it must be a right.”
He said the “elephant in the room” was that the UN had carried out reports which had not yet been made available to the inquest.
For full story see https://www.thejournal.ie/sean-rooney-inquest-6444040-Jul2024/
