Latest news with #SeánRooney
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- General
- RTÉ News
Mother of Pte Seán Rooney given permission to sue UN
The mother of Irish soldier Seán Rooney, who was killed in action in Lebanon three years ago, has been given permission by the High Court to sue the United Nations in the Irish courts. Private Rooney was killed while on UN duty when the armoured vehicle he was driving came under fire in December 2022. He was 24 years old when he died. His mother, Natasha Rooney, from Newtown Cunningham, Co Donegal, has begun legal proceedings against the Irish Defence Forces, the Minister for Defence, Ireland and the Attorney General over the death of her son. The High Court was told she also wanted to serve proceedings on the UN, which has its headquarters in New York. Mr Justice Paul Coffey accepted jurisdiction and granted permission to Ms Rooney's lawyers to issue a plenary summons against the United Nations and serve it on the UN based in New York. A copy of the personal injuries summons, which will set out the allegations against all parties, including the UN, will now be served on the United Nations, which will have 42 days to enter an appearance in the case.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Seán Rooney: Mother of Irish soldier killed in Lebanon given permission to sue United Nations
The mother of an Irish soldier killed in Lebanon has been given permission by the High Court to sue the United Nations (UN) in the Irish courts. Private Seán Rooney was on UN duty when the armoured vehicle he was driving from south Lebanon to Beirut came under fire in December 2022. His mother, Natasha Rooney, from Newtowncunningham, Co Donegal, has already initiated proceedings against the Defence Forces, the Minister for Defence, Ireland and the Attorney General over her 24-year-old son's death. Pte Seán Rooney's mother, Natasha, and her husband, Paul, at Dublin District Coroner's Court last summer. Photograph: Colin Keegan/ Collins She is suing for mental distress allegedly sustained by her and other members of the family as a result of Pte Rooney's death. READ MORE Barrister Ray Motherway, for Ms Rooney, on Tuesday told the High Court Pte Rooney lost his life in an ambush and his side wanted leave to issue and serve proceedings on the UN, which has headquarters in New York. On December 14th, 2022, Pte Rooney was driving a UN-marked armoured SUV-type vehicle which was travelling as part of a two-vehicle convoy on an administrative run to Beirut Airport from the Irish UN base, Camp Shamrock. Four soldiers were in each SUV. The vehicle driven by Pte Rooney became separated from the other one and ended up in a town called Al-Aqbiyah where it came under gunfire and Pte Rooney was killed. Central to the case against the UN is the allegation that UN officials allegedly ordered soldiers at the Irish base to stand down from going to assist as those officials believed other peacekeepers may have been closer. In an affidavit grounding Ms Rooney's application to sue the UN, solicitor Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law said Pte Rooney was on a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) deployment at the time of his death. He said investigations by the Irish Defence Forces and a criminal prosecution in Lebanon are ongoing, and that a verdict form the Dublin Coroner's Court is awaited. Mr Mackin said there is 'currently limited information available to Ms Rooney regarding the relevant circumstances' of her son's death. As the UN has it main offices and place of business in the US, he said it was necessary to bring the application for leave to issue and serve the intended proceedings outside the jurisdiction. Mr Mackin said the UN is a proper party to the proceedings as it was involved in the operation of Unifil and Pte Rooney was killed in action on a Unifil peacekeeping mission. The State, he added, is an appropriate jurisdiction to hear and determine the intended proceedings as the balance of the intended defendants have their main offices here and witnesses are resident in Ireland. It would also save on costs rather than having the dispute litigated in Lebanon or the US, he said. Mr Justice Paul Coffey accepted jurisdiction and granted permission to issue and serve a plenary summons on the UN in New York, which will have 42 days to enter an appearance in the case.
Irish Examiner
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Ireland to extend peacekeeping mission in Lebanon for 12 months — Tánaiste
The Tánaiste and minister for defence, Simon Harris, will today announce plans to extend Ireland's role in the peacekeeping mission in Southern Lebanon by a further 12 months. In his keynote speech to the PDFORRA Conference in Killarney, he will confirm that he intends to bring a memo to Cabinet to renew Ireland's mandate to participate in the UNIFIL mission. Ireland currently has the longest unbroken peacekeeping record of any country in the world, with some 340 troops currently deployed with the 125th Infantry Battalion. 'By re-committing to the UNIFIL mission, Ireland is sending out a clear message that we support peace, we value stability, and we care about the people and communities of Southern Lebanon,' the Tánaiste will say. 'It also demonstrates our commitment to continuing Ireland's proud peacekeeping record, now the longest unbroken record held by any country in the world.' Ireland will extend its peacekeeping mission in Lebanon and continue pressing for justice in the killing of Seán Rooney. Meanwhile, Mr Harris will tell the conference that the Irish Government will do everything it can to help ensure those behind the killing of Private Seán Rooney are brought to justice. The Tánaiste will update the conference on his recent visit to Lebanon, where he raised the case of Private Rooney with both the Lebanese foreign affairs and defence ministers. 'The family of Seán Rooney deserve answers; they deserve accountability,' he will say. 'My officials and I will continue to raise our concerns with the Lebanese Government at the highest level so that the people responsible for Seán Rooney's death are finally brought to justice.' In his speech to the conference, the Tánaiste will also speak about the Government's plans to ramp up defence spending and invest in the likes of radar and sonar capabilities. While accepting that challenges still exist around recruitment and retention — particularly in relation to specialists—the Tánaiste will welcome the fact that numbers are stabilising. Read More PDForra to push for halt to exodus of skilled technicians from Defence Forces
Irish Examiner
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Taoiseach: Kneecap should 'urgently clarify' comments on Hamas and Hezbollah
Irish rap trio Kneecap must urgently clarify their position on whether or not they support Hamas and Hezbollah, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said. It comes as Britain's Metropolitan Police is looking into footage from a concert in November 2024 in which a member of the band appeared to shout 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' – groups which are banned as terrorist organisations in the UK. A separate investigation is underway, after a video from a 2023 gig appeared to show one member saying: 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.' Mr Martin said it has been asserted that the trio are supporters of Hamas and Hezbollah and urged the group to clarify their position. 'I think it is important that Kneecap would clarify that and have they, or do they, support Hamas and Hezbollah, because that would be unacceptable. 'Hezbollah are responsible, in my view, for the murder of Seán Rooney.' Private Seán Rooney was killed when a convoy of Irish troops serving with a UN peacekeeping force was ambushed and fired upon in Lebanon in December 2022. The Taoiseach said both Hamas and Hezbollah have engaged in terrorist activities and the 'appalling killing of innocent people', such as the attack on October 7. However, Mr Martin said it was 'not clear to me' that Kneecap does support both Hamas and Hezbollah. 'It's been asserted that they have made commentary in support of both. I think they should urgently clarify that,' Mr Martin said. He said there have been 'horrific events' surrounding the killing of British MPs in recent years, most recently the Conservative MP David Amess in 2021. 'There's a huge responsibility on everybody to be very focused in terms of the protection of public representatives and the safety of public representatives, irrespective of what political views we have,' Mr Martin added. It comes as Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called for the prosecution of Kneecap over their alleged comments about killing Tory MPs. Ms Badenoch said: 'Kneecap's glorification of terrorism and anti-British hatred has no place in our society.' Asked if it would be a step too far for the group to have US visas withdrawn for their commentary on the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, Mr Martin reiterated that clarity was needed from Kneecap. 'In the broader scheme of things, in arts and creative arts and so on like that, people have always been facilitated in terms of their right to criticise particular policies and so on. There's no issue there,' he added. In recent days, Kneecap — which is made up of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Caireallain and JJ Ó Dochartaigh — alleged on social media they have 'faced a co-ordinated smear campaign', after speaking out about 'the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people'. Kneecap's manager Daniel Lambert said the band had received 'severe' death threats after Coachella.
