Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 26 November 2020

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement

Establishment of an Independent Public Inquiry into the Murder of Pat Finucane: Motion

Photo of Niall Ó DonnghaileNiall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman and the clerk for their support in ensuring that this motion could be heard this morning. I thank colleagues from across the groups for their unanimous support for the motion. The same sentiment was reflected in the Seanad last night. It has been the position of these Houses and successive Irish governments for many decades. I know that support means a great deal to the Finucane family.

Members are right to reflect on the broader issue of legacy, truth recovery and justice. This committee has previously looked at the issue of legacy. We all need to redouble our efforts to ensure that the mechanisms agreed at Stormont House are implemented fully because that is what we all agreed or at least thought we had all agreed. Unfortunately, the only signatories to that agreement who are reneging on the agreement are the same people who are reneging on what they agreed at Weston Park. We need to be unified. We are at our best when we speak with one voice to ensure that pressure is brought to bear on behalf of the Finucane family and so many other families like them across the island and beyond.

The great strength of this committee is that Mr. Finucane is not here as a witness, but as a member and is speaking to this motion as a member. We are enriched as a committee and as an institution for having him do that. I am sure his mother and family are very proud of him coming here to do this today. Equally, his father would have been very proud of all his achievements in politics, law and life.

I am thankful to members for their support. When the motion is agreed, it is important that the secretariat issue a press release on it.

At the heart of this is a family and their request for justice for Pat. In the remaining days, before 30 November, there has been an important series of steps. It is testament to the tenacity and determination of the Finucane family that within a short period of days, one could have the four parties in the North write to the British Secretary of State, the Taoiseach meet with the family and come out publicly, the issue raised at Leaders' Questions, a motion agreed in the Seanad and this motion agreed this evening.

As I said last night, it is incumbent upon us to support this motion and this campaign, not just as elected representatives and parliamentarians, but as citizens and people who believe in and want to affirm and achieve full truth and justice. I am, therefore, grateful to colleagues. I will defer now to John.

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