Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his attendance and I hope this is the beginning of a relationship with the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and that we can keep connected. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan raised the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. I have met the families a few times, as I have the hooded men. I hear what the Minister says to the effect that there is an official answer but I do not know if he has met the families. It would be great if he would consider doing so at some point, just to hear their story about their frustration and their loss 43 years ago, which was devastating. Some of the hooded men are still alive and it would be great if he would consider meeting them too.

I am interested in the legacy issues in respect of trauma in particular. I am particularly interested in intergenerational trauma, which I bring up a lot in this committee. We know about mental health issues in the North, particularly around suicide, and I work in this field, including with organisations in the North which have had to deal with suicide issues. Intergenerational trauma from the conflict affects families who have lost loved ones and victims but there are other types too. Hyper-vigilance can pass down through generations and people end up trying to self-soothe through drugs, addiction etc.

This matter really needs to be addressed. The Minister mentioned it in the context of the Stormont House Agreement and the provision of mental trauma services. Much more needs to be done in this area, and I would love if the Minister would give consideration to it. I have worked in this area with the RISE Foundation. I have run programmes in the North, where people on all sides of the community came in and spoke about their traumas. I went into a room where people would not speak to each other and there was huge resentment and feelings of bitterness because of generational issues and then, when they worked through it, what happened at the end was mind-blowing. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade funded one of these programmes. This is a matter that needs to be addressed and in respect of which much more needs to be done.

Does the Minister think the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference should be recalled? Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, MP, said recently that this would be a breach of implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. Does the Minister agree?