Mr. Paul Maskey:

The Chairman attended a WAVE meeting with us last month. That was a very important meeting and I was glad to see that some members of this committee were also in attendance. I know that not everyone could make it but nonetheless, it was a very important meeting. I was glad to be able to attend to hear at first hand the issues facing some of the families. I am speaking as an MP but also as a cousin of one of the disappeared.

It is not an easy thing to talk about. I appreciate the families taking the time to reiterate their stories. It is unfortunate that they have had to do so time and again.

I do not want to turn this into a political matter but I want to reassure the families that I have raised this on many occasions publicly and will continue to do so because the right thing to do is that anyone who has any information, no matter how small if it helps in any way to locate the bodies of the loved ones of the families represented at this meeting, it is important that they come forward now. There is no point in waiting. They need to come forward now because the families need to be put out of their misery, for want of a better phrase, because that is what their lives have been. It has been a misery for them.

I commend the families on their campaign. If any of them want to speak to me after the meeting, I have no problem in doing that. I spoke to Mr. McVeigh very briefly after our meeting at WAVE and I will do so again if he so wishes. I wish the families well and every success in their efforts to locate the bodies. If anyone has any information, no matter how small it is, please bring it forward as a matter of urgency so that the families can get peace.