Dr. Thomas Leahy:

We want transparency on the part of bodies, such as this committee, the Citizens' Assembly or victims' commission, or all these, to oversee this process in this State. This is important, to judge by what I gather from victims and survivors, because it gives them an opportunity to raise any points about or problems they have with the process as it is unfolding at the time with someone who can reach a high level and get feedback. It is important for all these mechanisms that there is oversight, while they are operating as we try to move forward and build this process, so that at the end people are not saying they were not happy with the way it operated and did not feel they could feed back into it and to the Government. Many of the oversight mechanisms are very important and that stands out in recommendation No. 1 about the historical investigations unit. If that is not going to happen in this State there has to be some form of oversight mechanism because it is fundamental for victims and survivors to trust in the process and feel that it is transparent. That is my view and it arises from the evidence gathering. It is important for public confidence in that process in this State and across the aisles in the Irish Government, and it is important for the triangular Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and the rest of the UK relationship, that everyone feels oversight was built in and that at the time the maximum was done that could be done.