Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

No, but the scheme of the Act is that its proceedings should be held in private as much as possible and, effectively, one must get the permission of the High Court to issue the report. It is not the type of tribunal Judge Cory had in mind. Obviously on grounds of expense it was quite attractive. On the other hand, in the context of the controversy about the inquiries Bill, in which I wholeheartedly support the Taoiseach's position, notwithstanding Deputy Ferris's comments, if Ireland is seen to walk away from a public inquiry, it would be regarded as a green light for a different approach to be taken by the United Kingdom and the Government does not accept that.

With regard to expense, remuneration of counsel will be carried out on the basis of the structure for the payment of legal fees agreed by the Government last July, that is, a maximum payment to counsel at the rate of a High Court judge's salary for a year and perhaps less than that. Judge Cory required that the inquiry should be allowed to select its counsel. I am not in a position, therefore, to guarantee that there will be a tendering process. However, there will be strict control and a different approach to finances in the case of this inquiry. That is a firm decision of the Government.

Judge Peter Smithwick has agreed to chair the inquiry and to relinquish his office as President of the District Court and ex officio judge of the Circuit Court for that purpose. I am grateful to him for agreeing to do that.

Deputy Ó Caoláin, in an aside that was designed not to attract notice, used the phrase "fellow Unionists" about other Unionist persons immediately following mention of myself. I am an Irish republican and I know what Irish republicanism means. It does not involve in this day and age killing, shooting or bombing anybody, robbing banks, breaking people's legs or extorting money. None of those activities has anything to do with republicanism.

I look forward to the establishment of a united Ireland under a republican constitution as much as any other Member of the House. It is the vocation of Irish republicans to work towards a reconciliation of the green and orange in this country, as our national flag suggests. The Provisional IRA and Sinn Féin have consistently betrayed the republican cause and continue to do so. They have constantly sought to polarise Northern politics, to drive the centre into extinction and to confront, in a face-to-face challenge, the more rejectionist Unionists. That suits their game plan.

Looking at Magill magazine the other day, I noticed a photograph of the widow of a German industrialist, Thomas Niedermeyer. She was pictured following her husband's coffin in 1990. His body had been recovered after he was kidnapped, held for ransom and executed by the IRA. He was no more than an industrialist trying to bring prosperity to the people of Northern Ireland. The picture of his wife attending his funeral was accompanied by a laconic note beneath to the effect that, subsequent to the funeral, she returned to Northern Ireland and committed suicide there.

I mention this because it reminded me of the Provisional IRA strategy at the time of trying to wreck the economy of the North and the South. People have forgotten but it might be time to remind them that Galen Weston was the subject of an attempted kidnap by people who have subsequently sought election in this State. TiedeHerrema was the subject of another kidnapping attempt to raise funds for the IRA. Don Tidey was also the subject of a kidnap. These efforts were for the purpose of raising money by kidnapping, demands and extortion for the cause. They were fund-raising efforts of the type we have seen in recent times. The kidnappings were directed by a small Marxist group at the heart of the IRA, some of whose members are now in its leadership, towards destruction of our economic well-being.

We are now told, as a matter of history, that the killing of Chief Superintendent Breen and Superintendent Buchanan was a killing of combatants. It was no such thing. The two men were unarmed and were known to be unarmed. The IRA, as Deputy Jim O'Keeffe said, lied immediately afterwards and claimed it had been ambushed and frightened by the two men and had resisted. The truth is that the two men were slaughtered in a premeditated act of butchery. Even when they attempted to surrender they were finished off on the road in a most grotesque manner.

Sometimes the truth about this matter appears to be lost. The Irish people should remember that the robbery of the Northern Bank was part of a piece, as robberies in this city were, in that the IRA has continuously asserted the right to break the criminal law of this State to raise money to further its political project. Those who think that these events are part of a glorious armed struggle to free this island should remember that the real republicans in this House, among whom I count myself, are the people who have built the economic well-being of this State, have sought reconciliation with the Orange tradition in Northern Ireland and fight to implement the Good Friday Agreement in a way that will bring Irish people so close together that political unity will result.

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