Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming in today and for the valuable research work Dr. Leahy has done. I acknowledge the work of Justice for the Forgotten and Ms Urwin because those issues have been forgotten and only for the group they would not get any attention at this stage. My first question is more of a philosophical or general one. Why do the witnesses think this has been a mammoth, uphill battle in order to resolve these issues? Why has it taken so long and what were the stumbling blocks? I ask the witnesses to pinpoint what they think in response to that general question.

Do the witnesses have an example of international best practice when it comes to legacy issues? We know that unresolved issues and conflict lead to the next one. The best example is the Second World War, which came out of unresolved issues following the First World War and the way the peace agreement was drawn up. The violence in Yugoslavia came out of what happened during the Second World War. We have had a peace process in South Africa and the peace process in Colombia is ongoing at the moment. Is there any good example the witnesses could give that would be useful for us to know? The British Government has ignored three Dáil motions and anything else that has come up, and it has been most unco-operative on this matter. Can there be a resolution if it continues like that? Can the other recommendations that do not involve the British Government bring about a full resolution? If the witnesses had to pinpoint one thing that would kick-start a resurgence in trying to resolve all this, which one would they identify?