Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 25 May 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement

Representatives of the Ballymurphy Families

Mr. John Teggart:

I thank Mr. Eastwood and all the parties present. I am looking at very familiar faces on my screen. I have met them during the campaign in one way or another. It brings back all the memories of what we had to do in our campaign, including going to Westminster, America and Brussels. Many of the faces present today also sat in solidarity with the families in court. I thank everyone on my screen. It is humbling that, after the inquest, they are still here with us as we continue our campaign for justice.

I hope that, in some way, what we have done over the years can be continued for others. It must be remembered that victims groups from all parties on this side of the water are opposed to the amnesty that the British Government is trying to introduce. There needs to be unity among everyone, and that unity needs to be seen. As we come out of Covid, a delegation from each political party and victims group should go and tell Boris Johnson that we will not stand for this. We will stand in unity and fight this. We will shame them as much as we can.

We need to be strong on this across the board. We need to bring in other friends of Ireland. The case needs to be made strongly. There are committees proposing and making laws for the British Government. We must remember that almost all of them are composed of ex-service people. They were getting a free run until we went over and confronted them in their chambers where they held their committee meetings. We need to confront them. We need to be proactive and be there in their faces with a unified voice. We must make the case strongly that this amnesty is going nowhere. They are lying to the ex-veterans because this cannot go anywhere. There are many ways of challenging it through the legal system, as Mr. Ó Muirigh would say.

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