Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On the Haass proposals, the two Governments will state the initiative came from the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister. It was a way of trying to move matters forward. I agree entirely with what has been said about the two Governments needing to scope out the situation. Reference was made to victims in the North, but what about victims in the South? What would the argument be if the delegates were to meet the Government? I have mentioned that there is a commission and a forum in the North. There is support and a mechanism for historical inquiries or people going to the Ombudsman’s office that are not available in this jurisdiction.

That is an anomaly within the system. The Good Friday Agreement was supposed to be about moving forward and best practice for the future, but we still have not got this. Mention was made of a scoping exercise, but what could be done if Amnesty International could meet the Government? The Government is not paralysed and the two Governments could move the situation forward. If there cannot be an agreement on human rights in the North, there is nothing to stop the two Governments in pushing ahead with simple issues such as support for victims, their advocates and organisations. What would Amnesty International advise in that regard? It states the approach is piecemeal, but what is being suggested is piecemeal also. We do not look at that bigger picture and at those in Britain and so on. What would Amnesty International state and what are its proposals in this regard?