Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a very important debate. I listened carefully to all of the speakers so far. I fully support the view as expressed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs in relation to what must happen now and what the future should be for all of us. Earlier this month, the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland published a very significant report assessing the RUC's handling of a series of loyalist paramilitary murders between 1990 and 1998. This report clearly identified a range of collusive behaviours by the police and the continued unjustifiable use by special branch of informants involved in serious criminality, including murder. It was known to special branch at the time that the people it was supporting were carrying out foul and unacceptable murders. Our thoughts are with the families of the 11 people murdered in the eight loyalist attacks considered in this report, including the victims and survivors of the Sean Graham bookmakers attack, which saw its 30th anniversary recently.

This is a substantial report and, of course, has to be studied. The findings must be acted on. I know the Government and all Members of the House are deeply conscious that this comes only weeks after the report of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland on Operation Greenwich which also identified collusive behaviours and raised significant concerns regarding appalling police conduct.

All the families impacted by these reports and all the other families who lost loved ones during the Troubles deserve access to information and a process of justice for their loved ones, regardless of who were the perpetrators. It is vital that we put in place a comprehensive and agreed framework to deal with this very painful legacy of our past. Victims and families have been waiting far too long.

The Minister referred to British Government proposals to legislate for a general statute of limitations. There absolutely cannot be unilateral action on any of these issues. It is only by the agreement of all the parties concerned that we all go forward together. I compare the current leadership in Britain with people such as Tony Blair and John Major, who, notwithstanding the political difficulties they had, made significant progress in bringing about the Good Friday Agreement. We cannot allow actions such as the British proposal to legislate for a general statute of limitations to proceed. It is absolutely unacceptable. All Members on all sides of this House will play our part in making sure that what was planned in the Stormont House Agreement actually happens.

I refer to the families who have lost loved ones. In my most recent speech on this issue in the House, I referred to the disappeared - those people who were murdered and buried and whose bodies have not been found. I think there were 16 in all. I know that 12 of those bodies have been recovered. Many of the people who murdered the four remaining victims are in their 60s, 70s or 80s. It is incumbent on us all to make sure that, whatever people may be still living, everybody concerned, on all sides, encourages, supports and makes every possible effort at this very late stage to bring closure to all of those families. Having spoken to the family of Columba McVeigh in particular, I am aware of the deep hurt they still suffer. Of all the people who died in the Troubles and as a result of violence, these are the only four whose graves are not known. I believe the families are absolutely entitled to the full support of everybody. I have acknowledged that Sinn Féin in the past and, indeed, the IRA did find 12 of the 16 bodies but I repeat that we need to get those other four.

It is a very difficult time right now because Northern Ireland is in the process of preparing for an election. Listening to Sammy Wilson speaking about the group in Markethill, County Armagh, certainly made clear the difficulties people face on all sides. Extreme views gain momentum coming up to elections. We need to do anything we can do to support the middle ground, whether one is nationalist, unionist, or whatever one's beliefs are, if any. As regards the Stormont House Agreement, the historical investigations unit, the independent commission on information retrieval and the oral history archive are key and core parts of that Agreement. I believe that is the only way forward. I support the Minister and the Government in their efforts to ensure that all of those components of the agreement are carried out and that we move on to a new phase in our country of continued peace and work and a new administration in the North that works together on the middle ground.

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