Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Chairman did, I welcome Ms Sandra Peake and all the other guests here today. I take this opportunity to compliment Ms Peake and all her colleagues in WAVE on the outstanding work they have done during the past 25 to 30 years. They have a great record of advocacy on behalf of people who have suffered and continue to suffer so much. The presentations made by the family members who have suffered and will continue to suffer so much through the loss of loved ones were powerful and dignified. Their words encapsulated so well the heartbreak and suffering of families that we cannot even begin to imagine. On every occasion I have had the opportunity to engage with family members who have lost loved ones in the most horrific of circumstances, they have always said they want to get the truth and a Christian burial for their loves ones. The clear message we heard today from each of the representatives who spoke is the importance of having a Christian burial and to know, for example, that a brother or an uncle is laid to rest in a family grave. It is important for all of us, particularly from the Christian community and other communities, to have a Christian burial and to have the opportunity to go to a grave and say a prayer or lay a flower. It is part of our make-up and our being. We cannot comprehend how difficult it must be for a family knowing that a loved one was abducted, murdered and secretly buried.

Mr. Oliver McVeigh and other guests spoke about needing information. As I did on the day we had commissioners from the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains appeared before the committee, I stated that one of the stand-out quotes from the first report that the victims' commission in July 1999 was that anyone with the slightest shred of information on the possible location of bodies should make this known to the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains. There are people who have information and it may be more than the slightest shred of information. As we did on the day the commissioners were with us, we appeal again and endorse every call that has been made for people who have any information to make sure it is brought forward.

That goes back to Ms Peake's excellent presentation in which she outlined the work of the WAVE Trauma Centre. Three themes that came through in her presentation were the solidarity of the families of the disappeared and of families whose loved ones' bodies have been recovered who still work and act in solidarity with the families who are still awaiting the return of their loved ones. It is very heartening to know of that solidarity. Ms Peake described the proposed amnesty by the British as a re-wounding of families who suffered so much. It definitely is that. It is reprehensible any Government could propose an amnesty for the perpetrators of heinous crimes. I spoke in the Dáil on this issue on Tuesday and the Taoiseach gave a clear response that the Irish Government is absolutely opposed to the British Government advancing such a proposal. A framework in the form of the Stormont House Agreement has been in place for a number of years to deal with legacy issues and we need to see it implemented.

Ms Peake spoke about the need to ensure that where there is support for victims, it is adequate, generous and effective. We will support advocacy groups such as WAVE in their requests to the British Government and other authorities to ensure that proper support is given to victims.

It was clear from her presentation and the presentation of our other guests that there is a need for information. The ICLVR outlined clearly to us that since its establishment shortly after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 and the appointment of Irish commissioners, successive Governments have provided all the resources and support that the independent commission needed. Ms Peake reinforced that particular point. They have the know-how and resources. Information is the missing ingredient. Sadly, that information is with some people and whoever has it needs to come forward.

Ms Peake also made a point about the loss of family members in recent weeks. Many of the crimes we talk about in the context of legacy issues go back at least half a century. As time goes on, memories and information will not improve. The matter was always urgent but the necessity for information to get passed on becomes more urgent as time goes by so that meaningful, comprehensive and adequate investigations can be carried out.

The British proposal of an amnesty is deplorable. That would cut off all avenues to getting to the truth with regard to crimes and would put an end to investigations and criminal prosecutions. It is unbelievable that this type of proposal would be made by a British government. It is rewounding families who have suffered so much over the decades.

I reassure WAVE and the families with whom our guests work that we are anxious to do everything we can to support them. When we spoke in Belfast, we discussed the possibility of a commemoration in Dublin, a specific day on which we would highlight the fact there are still people who were disappeared and whose bodies have not been recovered. We discussed the possibility of a day in Dublin that would emphasise that, in particular. I suggest the committee meets representatives of WAVE at least once a year, if not more often. We sincerely hope that if bodies are recovered, we will deal with other legacy issues that the centre deals with. The committee should engage with representatives of the centre and their family members at least once a year to reassure them of our continued support and to get the message out to the public that, unfortunately, there are families who have lost loved ones, whose bodies have not been recovered for more than 40 years. All I can do is to compliment our guests on their excellent and dignified presentations. They are making a simple appeal to try to get information and the truth, and to try to recover those bodies in order to afford families the Christian burial they wish for.