Former taoiseach Enda Kenny has made a personal statement in the Dáil to correct the record relating to comments he made 13 years ago about an Irish aid worker killed in Iraq.
Mr Kenny said on Tuesday night that during statements in the Dáil on November 17th 2004 about the abduction and murder of Margaret Hassan "I said that Margaret Hassan had converted to Islam. This statement was untrue".
He said Margaret Hassan was a devout Catholic who continued to practise her religion during the years in which she was in Iraq.
“I wish therefore to have the Dáil record of 17th day of November 2004 corrected to indicate that Margaret Hassan had not converted to Islam but was in fact a devout and practising Catholic,” he said.
Mr Kenny said “I regret not having done so prior to this.”
“While her body has never been recovered, I do hope that some day this will happen and that she will receive a Christian burial.”
Debate on the Public Service Pay and Pensions Bill was interrupted to allow Mr Kenny make the personal statement.
Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghaíl said Ms Hassan’s family would “deeply appreciate your comments”.
The former taoiseach was leader of the Opposition at the time of the debate.
Ms Hassan who was born in Dublin, grew up in Britain and was married to an Iraqi, had spent 30 years in Iraq and worked for Care International, when she was abducted by militants on her way to work in Baghdad, on October 19th, 2004. She was 59 years of age.
Her sisters Deirdre Fitzsimons, Catherine Fitzsimons and Geraldine Fitzsimons campaigned for her release and met then taoiseach Bertie Ahern at Government buildings as part of their efforts to secure her freedom.
