Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

One of the last items of legislation enacted by the Westminster Parliament before its dissolution was the Inquiries Act. Will the Taoiseach tell us if he has raised with the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, the absolute unacceptability of this Act to the Irish people? Did the Taoiseach receive any commitment whatsoever from Prime Minister Blair, regarding the scrapping or amending of this Act, which we all know would allow a British Minister to effectively gag an inquiry and is designed to prevent any real inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane and others who were victims of collusion?

Is the Taoiseach aware of the Finucane family's request to all senior British judges not to serve on any inquiry that is brought about under this totally unacceptable Act? Would the Taoiseach be prepared to echo the call of the Finucane family, given all the facts he must now know in regard to it?

Does the Taoiseach agree with Judge Saville of the Bloody Sunday inquiry who said this Act would make serious inroads into the independence of any inquiry that would be constituted under its terms?

I noted what the Taoiseach said in reply to an earlier question, that he would "stay out of that one". He was referring to the tussle between the DUP and the UUP in the current elections. That is fair enough.

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