Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates for their presentations. I have a couple of questions on the issue of legacy, particularly the possibility of an amnesty. I come from a Border county and deal with many people on both sides of the conflict who were victims. In the context of an amnesty, has anyone explored the possibility of encouraging people to come forward on the basis that families or victims of murder or other heinous crimes during the Troubles agree that they only want to find out the truth? If a number of cases were taken, even on a trial basis, to see how this approach would work, some families might get closure. As this is not happening for them, the legacy goes on. The committee has on previous occasions discussed the generational impact of this legacy.

Particularly in dealing with cross-Border legacy crimes that were committed in one location and where the evidence ended up south of the Border or vice versa, to what degree does co-operation take place in such inquiries? I have seen a number of inquiries on both sides that have not enthused me in terms of the level of co-operation provided. How is it intended to deal with this matter to ensure synergy between the North and the South?

I am quite taken by the idea of an oral history archive. We heard that it will be evidence based. Given that when people reminisce, a certain amount of folklore enters the story - every tale is added to in the telling - how does one ensure that in creating an oral history archive, some of the stories are not embellished?