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

I welcome the contributions of Ms Thompson and Mr. Beggs. While they were presented very well and in very good detail, the lack of progress is very disappointing. In his concluding comments just now, Mr. Beggs said it would be another two years before certain bodies are established. By definition, everyone is getting older. The survivors and the families of those victims who lost their lives include a cohort of persons with a higher age profile. It is most regrettable for victims, including those who still carry injuries, and families who lost loved ones that progress has not been made to date. Naturally, as people get older their health deteriorates, which compounds the problem.

It is very regrettable we do not have an assembly and Executive in Northern Ireland. Ms Thompson mentioned some of the work could be undertaken at present, but I would not have much confidence in the public service driving this type of work. It is work that needs political leadership from both communities. I am very much of the opinion that the maximum possible level of truth is needed regarding what went on, and the skullduggery, murder and mayhem carried out by state forces or paramilitaries. The truth should come out. We will never have a society at the right level of peace we need, and that we all hope for in the future, if we do not try to optimise the amount of truth we can get from people.

As people get older their memories fade. At our last meeting, the commissioners for the location of victims' remains came before the committee. They quite rightly pointed out that somebody might have what seems like a scintilla of information but which might be important, and memories fade. I am dispirited with the lack of political momentum at Westminster and on this island on addressing these issues. We think back to the work of Denis Bradley and Archbishop Eames some years ago. Some aspects of it were heavily criticised, but it set out a certain format for work to be done. That was a good eight or nine years ago. If some work or progress had been achieved on many of the measures outlined in that programme, perhaps we would be much further down the road and in better position than we are today.

As a representative of Cavan and Monaghan, I am very familiar with cross-Border programmes. It is absolutely essential that these programmes are continued. President Juncker made some comments recently that he would be supportive of PEACE funding post-2020. In fairness to the Chairman and members of the committee, we have engaged with Ministers from the Government and from the Northern Ireland Executive when it was in existence on the need to ensure this funding is continued to try to assist many of the communities most affected, and still are affected, by the difficulties of the era. I wish the witnesses well with their work. I sincerely hope we will be in a position to hear a more positive outlook. This is not a criticism of the witnesses, far from it, but of the political system, particularly in Westminster and Stormont, that has not put structures in place to listen to people before their memories start to fade even further.