Mr. Roderic Dunbar:

We are here to talk about the Good Friday Agreement. Would we have it if it were not for the support of the ex-prisoner community? The answer is, "Probably not." As an ex-prisoner, I ask, "Has the Good Friday Agreement delivered for me?" to which the answer is, "No." I was convicted in a special court in special circumstances. I now have a criminal record, as the British Government would state. The conditions alluded to for an amnesty have been met in that weapons have been put beyond use and the organisations have been disbanded - they have been stood down. At what point will I get what I voted for when I voted for the Good Friday Agreement - a Bill of Rights - which will tell me that I am a citizen? When do I stop being an ex-prisoner? I have been out of prison for almost 40 years and have not broke the law since.

The point Ms Gildernew made is one that I, as a male, have never grasped as to the effect on those such as Ms Martina Anderson and I am sure there are many more like her. I am fortunate in that I am a parent and do not have to adopt. I had three at once and I am not going to through that again.

From where do I get my rights as a citizen? I am asked to pay my taxes; I am told I can vote, but I cannot get what I want. If I want to take out insurance, I have to declare my past. I will have to pay an excess or else I will not have insurance. I am also denied employment opportunities. What is the point in re-skilling to do a specific job and someone turns around and tells me he or she is sorry but because of something I did at 22 years of age, I cannot avail of an employment opportunity? Has the Good Friday Agreement delivered for the ex-prisoner community? It is debatable, but in some ways, yes. On the fundamentals, a Bill of Rights would guarantee us full citizenship, something to which we are entitled. If I was a rapist and out of prison the 30 odd years I have been out of prison, I could write on an application form that I had no convictions, but my conviction stays with me and will never be spent. We are a special case. If we were convicted in a special court, we are a special case and that case needs to be looked at. As to whether the answer is an amnesty, expunging or deleting records, I do not know the answer to that question, but something has to be done. We would not be where we are were it not for the contribution of the ex-prisoner community, as well as members of the ex-combatant community who are sometimes overlooked and are living in fear. I cannot be judged again for the things I did but others can.

The HET was mentioned. Is there any trust in it after the revelations about the way that some persons had been followed with more vigour than others?

There is still much to be done. A start would be a Bill of Rights that would guarantee me the hope of full citizenship, to which I, as a citizen, should be entitled.