Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his presentation. We had the opportunity to discuss some of these issues in the Dáil earlier today, when I asked about the fresh start agreement during Priority Questions. Timing is of the utmost importance. There is now a very small window of opportunity to make progress as we are into the electoral cycles both North and South in the new year. As we all know, the time coming up to elections is not a great time to make progress on sensitive issues with political resonance. I have said it in the Dáil on numerous occasions since this agreement was finalised.

It is a most disappointing situation for victims, victims' families and survivors. Dealing with the legacy of the past goes back to proposals and measures from Eames-Bradley, the Haass talks and the Stormont House Agreement. Unfortunately, the Fresh Start agreement did not enable the provisions proposed in the Stormont House Agreement to be implemented. The British Government obviously exercised a veto, citing national security issues. In dealing with issues that go back 40 years and more, it is reprehensible that we are leaving families to wait again, when they need to get the truth and receive some measure of support.

The Minister, Deputy Flanagan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock have both echoed the viewpoints I had stated in the Dáil on this issue. There needs to be an urgency attached to trying to achieve progress. After December or January we are most likely into election campaigns. These issues are of the utmost importance. Every day that goes by, for the victims, their families and the survivors, everybody is getting older. The longer this process goes on the more difficult it will be to achieve any meaningful response for those who have suffered so much for so long - some for decades.

I was very taken with the comments of Sandra Peake of the WAVE Trauma Centre, and by statements from other good advocacy groups working on behalf of victims, survivors and victims' families over the years. They expressed serious disappointment that the measures were not put in place in this agreement. In response to a question I put this morning, the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, agreed that he would meet some of the representative groups such as Justice for the Forgotten. I sincerely hope that this engagement can take place at an early date.

Some of us here participate in an informal all-party group dealing with the Dublin-Monaghan bombings in particular, as well as other tragedies. There is so much evidence regarding who was responsible for the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, and for the bombing in Belturbet in December 1972. We know of the Glenanne gang and that it was supported by British State forces. We have to confront all of these issues to reach the truth. It is long past time. In most debates that we have in these Houses, when mentioning the victims and the tragedies that occurred throughout this island, we also want to include the families of the disappeared, who have suffered so much. A number of bodies still remain to be recovered in that respect.

I appeal to the Minister of State, the Government, the British Government and the five executive parties in the Northern Executive. Time is not on anybody's side to make meaningful progress on addressing in some way the terrible suffering which so many have endured for so long. We know very well that no matter how adequate a programme of support is put in place, it will never be sufficient given the losses incurred by those families. Nonetheless, we have to try to put in place a proper support mechanism for those individuals and families and for society in general.

The Minister of State and Deputy Joe O'Reilly both mentioned the infrastructural deficit in the north east and the need to improve links between North and South, including via improvements to national secondary and regional roads. Having adequate infrastructure in place is important for traversing the Border and building North-South trade. A project in the north east that we have spoken about on many occasions at this committee is the Narrow Water Bridge project. The investment involved is relatively small in the general scheme of things and it is mentioned in the agreement. If there was some momentum there, it would show people that progress is being made on an important infrastructural project. As I said, the cost is small in the overall context of public spending but it would mean a great deal to the communities in counties Louth and Down and have a significant impact on the all-island tourism product.

I conclude by referring to the issue of criminality. As the Minister of State knows, I brought forward legislation in the Dáil to establish a cross-Border agency to deal with crime. Unfortunately, the Government voted down those measures, which were supported by our colleagues in opposition. While I welcome the provision in the Fresh Start agreement for the establishment of a task force on criminality, it does not go far enough. We know the damage crime does to individuals, communities and the environment both North and South, not to mention the loss of revenue to government through illegal trading. We need a dedicated agency comprising members of An Garda Síochána, the PSNI, the Revenue Commissioners and their counterparts in Northern Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, and all relevant Departments. We all know that agencies and Departments all too often follow their own particular agenda and work within their own particular silos. A task force will not facilitate the level of inter-agency co-operation that is needed. I ask the Government to give further consideration to the establishment of a cross-Border agency to deal with this particular issue. The legislation we prepared was based on proposals by the committee of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly in this respect. I hope the model we have put forward will be used to deal with this particular issue.

I compliment the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock, and the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, as well as Dr. Alasdair McDonnell, MP, of the SDLP, who is here with us today, and the other parties in the Executive, all of whom worked extremely hard to reach agreement on these very important matters. Time is of the essence in resolving issues to do with the legacy of the past and, unfortunately, it is very much against us.