Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I again say "hello" to Mr. Finucane. John also heard me speak last night. I very much support the motion from last night and the motion today. He will see from everyone that it is very heartfelt. It is absolutely the time for the UK Government to do the right thing. It has been far too long. It has taken more than 20 years to do so. It needs to deliver on a commitment it made at Weston Park. The delay is unjustifiable. The shocking levels of State collusion have been established. This is really significant and not just for the Finucane family. It is also, as Mr. Finucane has said himself in a very generous way, much bigger than that. When the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, spoke on the Seanad motion last night, he said this is such a significant decision it will "be a powerful demonstration of the commitment of the UK Government to truth, recovery and the rule of law, even in the most difficult of cases." That is what we need across the board.

I talked about the importance of the Stormont House Agreement in last night's debate and about the principles that underline the Stormont House Agreement. I feel that reconciliation and legacy is the most important thing that we as a committee and we as a people need to speak up to and take on. We have to try to heal the past, as the pain is too evident in the present. Mr. Finucane has been a voice for that today. It is a reminder to all of us of the really important work we do in this committee. I reiterate what a significant week this is. I truly hope that the UK Government will do the right thing with regard to the Stormont House Agreement and that instead of what we saw in March, which was not about putting victims first or about putting reconciliation first, this will be an opportunity to put those things first.