A formal ‘demarche’ has been served on the Israeli government through the UN.

Simon Harris said Ireland’s ‘proud tradition’ in peacekeeping cannot be held up by ‘paralysis at UN’.

The Defence Forces announced the death in service of Corporal Terry Smyth (32) ‘with great sadness’.

Spending was considerably down last year to a total of €490,739, which was around two-thirds of the just over €750,000 that was spent in 2021.

More details of the tragedy involving Declan ‘Dec’ O’Connell emerged overnight as authorities confirmed it had occurred around midday yesterday/on Sunday near an aerodrome in Bollullos de la Mitacion a half-hour drive from the southern Spanish city of Seville.

Chief of Staff of the armed forces Lieutenant General Seán Clancy has said that the death of an Irish peacekeeper in Lebanon “deeply wounds us all” and it was a pain felt deeply by all of Óglaigh na hÉireann