Mr. Peter Lavery:

I was in my mid to late teens when my father was killed. He was 60 years old. I often think that there is a hierarchy of deaths and I kind of survived it. I have arrived at an age, 50 years after his death, where I am an observer of what is going on. Nobody seems to represent the victims that I know from around Northern Ireland. One thing that I do know about all of the victims and their families is what they have in common, which is that they all want the truth. They want to know what happened. I have been lucky. I have been married for 37 years, have children and grandchildren. I am now 70 and am reasonably healthy. I have quite a lot of experience working with communities all over Northern Ireland, with prisoner groups and other groups who have been conflicted in the past. For example, I have worked with the Orange Order, the GAA and the Ulster Bands Forum, bringing them together to work, which was great.

The Good Friday Agreement is not perfect. One part of it that has fallen between the stones is that relating to the treatment of victims' families. I get it and I understand why but it really is time to deal with this issue.