Medal of gallantry recommended for deceased Mayo soldier

A MEDAL of gallantry has been recommended to be awarded to a Ballyhaunis native, Private Billy Kedian who was killed while serving with the Defence Forces in Lebanon.

The Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence published its report on the awarding of Defence Force Medals to provide a more cohesive framework for the awarding of medals for gallantry.

These recommendations come as some soldiers have never been recognised, such as Ballyhaunis-native Private Billy Kedian, a soldier of the 1st Battalion in Galway, who was killed on May 31, 1999 while serving in Lebanon.

Private Billy Kedian was just 21 years old when he was fatally injured when the compound he was in while serving as a Peacekeeper in south Lebanon came under mortar attack. A former colleague who served with Private Kedian told a meeting of Mayo County Council in May that his actions saved the lives of 14 of his colleagues.

To mark the 25th anniversary of his death, Mayo County Council has given a commitment to honour Private Kedian with a memorial in his home town of Ballyhaunis.

Medals in the Defence Forces are usually awarded to personnel based on criteria such as length of service, service overseas and acts of bravery.

The Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence noted that the awarding of medals is a matter for the military authorities. Defence Force Regulation (DFR) A9 sets out the qualifying criteria required to be awarded Defence Forces Medals.

Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell, who sits on the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence commented on the report, saying: “I welcome the introduction of this report, but we in the Committee are limited in our ability to help implement this report.

“I call upon the Defence Forces Chief of Staff to expedite the recommendations in this report as soon as possible. Those serving our Defence Forces do not get nearly enough recognition for their bravery and sacrifice. While a lot more needs to be done, I hope this report's recommendations will be taken on board.”

The Senator concluded his remarks by saying: “I also think we need to look back and see if there are other military honours that we could grant to those who’ve engaged in distinguished acts. I hope the Irish Defence Forces could consider this at some point in the future as other military organisations across the globe have looked at ways in which they can commemorate acts of bravery by their soldiers over the last 100 years.”

Defence Forces Regulations state the award of medals for bravery is time-bound. They may not be awarded unless a recommendation is made through the usual channels to the Chief of Staff, not later than two years in the case of the Military Medal for Gallantry, and not later than four years in the case of the Distinguished Service Medal, after the performance of the act in respect of which the recommendation is made.

After consideration by Members of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence the Committee agreed the following:

Noting that the award and the criteria for the award of Military Medal of Gallantry (MMG) are provided for in Defence Force Regulation DFR A9 the Committee recommends for a change to the governing regulation by the removal of the timeline of two years for submission of such cases for review.

Notwithstanding the Committee's request for a review of the two-year rule, a simple granting of a derogation by the Minister to allow for the specific case of Pte Billy Kedian RIP to be examined, due to the time-sensitive nature of this case, is strongly recommended.

The Committee calls for the early completion of the review of Pte Billy Kedian’s Case.