Mr. Séamus Dooley:

In a sense, the challenges are the same across all fields. It struck me listening to all this about the deaths of journalists or the threats to journalists that they occur for a very good reason. They occur because journalists exist to expose inconvenient truths. Whether you are covering gangland crime or attempting to cover the actions of a state showing contempt for international law, the challenges are pretty much the same.

I am always conscious when talking about international conflict or the death of journalists that we can sound like we are engaging in special pleading. The blood of journalists is the same colour as that of aid workers and other citizens but the dimension making it different is the fact journalists are targeted for a reason. They are targeted in order to stop the terrible truth about other murders coming out.

Here in Ireland we need to remember the murder of Martin O'Hagan and the fact the UK Government has consistently refused to reopen the investigation into that killing. We as a union have called on the Irish Government with limited success to call for an independent investigation. There is an opportunity now, given the background of the new Prime Minister, the interest of the Northern Ireland secretary and the support we have witnessed from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, to revisit the murder of Martin O'Hagan. It is much easier to occupy the high moral ground in other situations when you address the questions in your own situation. It is only fair to use this opportunity to mention that.