Dáil debates

Wednesday, 8 March 2006

Inquiry into the murder of Mr. Patrick Finucane: Motion.

 

6:00 pm

Photo of Trevor SargentTrevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

Tááthas orm go bhfuil an rún uile-pháirtí seo os ár gcomhair. Like other Deputies, my colleague Deputy Boyle and I have met Mrs. Geraldine Finucane and her family and sought such a cross-party motion. As we have reached this point it is important that we move on. Judge Cory has been clear that he is becoming more and more disillusioned. As a respected international judge that must send worrying signals to the British Government and anybody concerned with justice, not least justice in this case and others such as those of Mr. Billy Wright and Ms Rosemary Nelson with which Judge Cory has dealt. It is important we recognise and state the British Government undertook an international agreement at Weston Park and that the Secretary of State and the UK Government have, by their actions, decided to set aside that agreement. The Inquiries Act 2003 introduced an element of vetting evidence, which is a recipe for a sham inquiry. As the family has said, the British Government stands alone worldwide in upholding its position.

This House debated the Lourdes hospital report a few minutes ago. What happened when the consultants were asked to examine a fellow consultant is analogous to what is happening with the British Government. We hear about the difficulties of the internal inquiry in Fianna Fáil. An inquiry that involves people close to those giving evidence will inevitably be flawed. The basic principles of justice require a full, independent, public inquiry. The Green Party, like every other party here, regards the Weston Park agreement as an international agreement, the setting aside of which does an injustice to the Finucane family and insults the Irish Government and people. I ask that the Minister take that message to the British Government and make it clear that we do not accept this. We must ensure, by dealing with the British Government and every government worldwide, that every influence is brought to bear on the British Government to uphold the agreement into which it entered. The message should go out that all of us are determined and unrelenting, as the Finucane family is, to ensure justice is done and that we will not rest until it is.

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