Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I compliment the witnesses on the excellent presentation and the appropriate manner in which they put forward the details on an extremely difficult issue. I am very glad, as I did in 2012, to have suggested for the 2018 work programme of this committee to invite the representatives of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains to make a presentation to the committee. My request met with unanimous approval. The thinking behind my request was that we have to use every forum open to us to try to create awareness that people with information should provide it to the commission.

I compliment the commission on what it has achieved to date in recovering so many bodies. Unfortunately the bodies of Joseph Lynskey, Columba McVeigh and Robert Nairac have yet to be recovered. I have been familiar with the work of the commission since its establishment following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, as the first commissioner appointed by the Irish Government was my predecessor as Deputy for Cavan-Monaghan, my good friend and former Tánaiste, the late John Wilson. I was familiar with the work of the commission without knowing the detail of the work.

Mr. Murray and Sir Kenneth Bloomfield have been in very senior positions in the public service, as has Mr. Knupfer. John Wilson told me that even though he had been in very difficult positions, including up to Tánaiste and in government, nothing was anything like as difficult as his work on the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains.

I compliment the commission on its excellent work in trying to recover bodies. It is absolutely appalling that so many innocent people were abducted, murdered and secretly buried. I have met many of the victims' families over the years. I do not have the words to describe the grief that they have suffered and continue to suffer. Many of them said to me that they wanted to have a grave where their loved one would rest and where they would be able to go, say a prayer and lay a flower. It is not a big request in respect of a family member who had been murdered. These were innocent people murdered by thugs and murderers masquerading as so-called republicans and loyalists.

I am sure that with every passing day the work of the commission does not get easier. I assume that what it needs is information. I sincerely hope the Governments provide it with the necessary resources to support its work. In his opening remarks, Mr. Murray made the point that it is gratifying to have the support of the Government and the Oireachtas. Part of my thinking in inviting the witnesses to make a presentation to the committee, with the full agreement of the committee, was to let those families know the fact their loved ones are still missing is a source of concern for all of us and to try to use this forum as a means of generating awareness

If somebody has some information, even though they might think it is irrelevant or just has some relevance, they should come forward and provide it to the commission. I wish the commission well in the remainder of its work. I know the terrain in north Monaghan and Bragan Mountain well. It is part of my constituency and I know the area around Oristown in Meath, which is a neighbouring area. The topography does not make it easy for the commission to do its work. I presume that the commission needs information more than anything else.