Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Yes, is the answer to Deputy Gregory's first question. I keep in regular touch with individuals from the Justice for the Forgotten group. I also have formal meetings with the group.

Like Deputy Gregory and all Members of the House, I would like to see a full and complete end of this matter. We have agreed a process for that. The report must be debated in the Dáil and Seanad and then considered by the Government. We must then decide how to move forward, based on the recommendations of the report. I do not have difficulty with any of the recommendations but we must go through the formal process.

We have received a conclusive reply from the Secretary of State that the British Government has no further information or data. I raised the matter again with the Prime Minister on Sunday last. We must await the ultimate response of the British Government to the recommendations of the report. The members of the British Government are aware of the report and I have highlighted it to them.

In the future we will face the difficulty of how best to reach finality in this matter. We must go through the process outlined in the report and see how best to do that. I am committed to doing that in so far as I can.

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