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

In her opening statement Ms Thompson quoted from the Good Friday Agreement: "The achievement of a peaceful and just society would be a true memorial to the victims of violence." I thank the witnesses for their invitation to meet the Victims and Survivors Forum, which the committee will certainly consider. The witnesses and their commission's independent voice and effort to address the very divisive issues of the legacy of the past are appreciated and central to the Good Friday Agreement. On behalf of the committee I thank the commissioner, Ms Thompson, and Mr Beggs for appearing before the joint committee and answering its questions so comprehensively. We wish them well with their work. I think we all accept it is really useful. It is a part of not only our looking into legacy issues, but also moving this situation forward.

I now propose to go into private session to deal with some housekeeping issues. Is that agreed? Agreed.