Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

First, I thank our witnesses for the analysis they did. I know that the Chairman and others who visited Washington DC will agree that it provided us with really valuable material to be able to communicate to those there what exactly what is going on. As has been mentioned, the important point is that the British Government and its envoys in the United States are trying to convince people that it is trying to defend the Good Friday Agreement and deliver better outcomes for victims and survivors, which obviously is a lie. We might as well call it that. Nobody is being fooled. What was good about the trip to Washington DC was that it was on a cross-party basis and was the first time that this Oireachtas joint committee had visited Washington DC. We were able to address some of the lies that had been told about this legislation and what it might do. At the end of the day, it is an insult to the intelligence of all of the political parties, the Irish Government, and indeed, European states in terms of what is trying to be achieved here. I think an important point was made when the witnesses stated that it was not proposed by all veterans. It has been proposed by an element within the military to keep things closed and to keep the lid on things. God forbid that the people across this island or other islands around the world would see exactly what happened. We can see very clearly the attempts to control the narrative there. It is just appalling, never mind the unilateral actions of the UK Government.

I have a few questions on the legislation. Is it unprecedented in the last quarter of a century since the Good Friday Agreement, in terms of what it seeks to do and in there being no due process, as is set out in the Bill? I ask the witnesses to elaborate on their point that the processes are actually working too well in terms of information that is coming out. Indeed, some of us attended the Ballymurphy inquiry in Belfast. Have the witnesses come across anybody, in all of their work and engagement, who thinks that this legislation is a good idea or the right thing do to? I ask them to outline the timeline around taking an interstate case to the European Court of Human Rights.