Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

I have a number of questions arising from the Taoiseach's reply. He said that the delay in regard to the MacEntee inquiry is regrettable, with which we all agree, but it is due to the fact that new evidence has continued to be brought forward. Surely it could be a tactic to delay an inquiry if new evidence is being dripfed on an interminable basis. Will a cut-off date be set following which all the evidence that has been received will be considered or how will the Taoiseach deal with possible dripfeeding of information that may be never ending?

The Taoiseach said there is a need for the British Government to play its part in addressing the relatives' concerns, which I fully accept. Is there also a need for the Irish Government to play its part? Is there a role this Government could play that would be independent of requesting the British Government to play a role, as this is an international matter that concerns the Irish State as well as the British state?

In the context of bringing forward initiatives from the Irish side, will the Taoiseach suggest the holding of a single issue British-Irish summit on the matter? Is that something he has considered? Will he put such a proposal to the British Prime Minister? We discussed the establishment of some form of a truth and reconciliation commission in the past and the view at the time was that it was not the right time to establish it. Is there ongoing consideration of the establishment of such a commission as a way of hopefully bringing closure and a certain amount of healing following all the hurt of the past?

I welcome that a Dáil debate on this area is planned and I hope it can take the form of a motion — as in the case of a previous debate on the on the Pat Finucane case — on the establishment of an international independent inquiry. Will the Taoiseach indicate when that debate will take place? Will it be next February, March or some other time?

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