Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea revealed that he is still awaiting a report on the accuracy of the Army's version of what happened when Irish soldiers were massacred in the 1960 Niemba ambush in the Congo.
"I do not want to anticipate what is in the report. But certainly, if the report points out that the official version is wrong, of course we will deal with that." He added that he would be more than happy to correct the Dáil record if he had said anything incorrect on the issue in the House in the past.
He was replying to Finian McGrath (Independent, Dublin North Central), who asked if he was satisfied that the official Army version of the Niemba massacre, which showed that nine members of an 11-man Irish patrol died that day, would be upheld by the inquiry.
Mr McGrath said that the Army's version had been challenged in "an excellent book", The Irish Army in the Congo 1960-1964: The Far Battalions, by David O'Donoghue. He asked why the official version, if inaccurate, had been allowed to go uncorrected for almost a half-century.
"If, as now seems likely, the Army inquiry finds that eight men died at Niemba, and that a ninth man, Trooper Anthony Browne, died three miles away, some days later, in another incident, will the Minister correct the statement he made to the House earlier this year?"
Mr McGrath also urged the Minister to consider reviewing the Army's treatment of the two Niemba survivors, Tom Kenny and Joe Fitzpatrick, who claimed their good names had been impugned as a result of the Army's incorrect history of the Niemba incident.
He added that everybody needed to be sensitive to the feelings of serving and former members and their families.
Mr O'Dea said that any complaints which the two men had relating to their alleged treatment by the Army, could be brought to his personal attention.
"They have brought a few matters to my attention. We have been in touch with them. Before I comment in detail on what is going to come out of the report, I would like to have the opportunity to read it first."
Asked by Mr McGrath if he was satisfied that the inquiry was conducted in a detailed and professional manner, the Minister said it was a detailed and diverse inquiry.
That was why it had taken about 17 months.
