Ms Margaret Urwin:

Members mentioned the failure of the British to release the files as demanded by three Dáil motions now. As Senator Mark Daly said, the British ambassador is doing nothing about it, and obviously the committee has had meetings with him.

The former Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, brought all the party leaders together last October to get their input - as leaders of the Opposition - regarding how this might be resolved or progressed but the meetings did not continue. One of the things I am hoping may come out of this meeting is that the committee might ask the new Taoiseach to reinstate those meetings or perhaps use the Good Friday Agreement to come up with some ideas. It seems the British feel so comfortable in totally ignoring this. Deputy Brendan Smith has said in the Dáil that they have felt comfortable ignoring the request of a sovereign Parliament. Mr. Maskey also asked about that. There is also the idea, as Senator Mark Daly said, that they are waiting for the families to die. Many of our family members have died and, as Ms Cadwallader said, the next generation has taken up the gauntlet and is continuing the campaign. It is just delay, delay, delay. It is frustrating for all the families.

Deputy Breathnach mentioned the Dundalk bombing. We represent those families and one of the survivors who was badly injured. He also mentioned the importance of reconciliation. Reconciliation is unlikely to be achieved without the truth. Before we can have it, we have to have the truth.

The Deputy asked about the degree of representation. We operate in the Republic and all our people come from one side of the community. We have represented a family from the other side of the community. In the past, we assisted them in their dealings with the HET. They lived here but their family member was killed in Derry. We, therefore, have experience of helping the Protestant community as well.