Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I am pleased to support this motion and I thank the House for agreeing to my proposition that there be an all-party response to the publication of the report of the Saville inquiry. I recall 30 January 1972 very well, as do many Irish people. The publication of the Saville report on 15 June 2010 brought truth and clarity into the public domain 38 years after the events of Bloody Sunday. The report vindicates the fathers, brothers and sons who were killed and wounded, and the organisers of the civil rights march, the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association. The families of the victims must be foremost in our minds now that their loved ones' names have been cleared of any wrongdoing on that Sunday in January 1972.

I hope the clarity of this key finding will help to provide some measure of comfort to the relatives of the victims who, for 38 long years, fought to have the events of that day thoroughly investigated and responsibility properly assigned. The passage of time and the sense of loss and injustice they must have felt did not deter them from seeking the truth. Crucially, Lord Saville's report has concluded that the fatal shots fired shortly before 4 p.m. on William Street in Derry on 30 January 1972 were not in response to attacks or threatened attacks. Instead, he clearly lays responsibility for firing the first shot with the British army. Having studied the events of Bloody Sunday for 12 years, Lord Saville's report is clear in its conclusions and is now the official version of events, countering the findings of the Widgery report which was produced three months after Bloody Sunday. Lord Widgery had concluded that British army officers were fired on first. The relatives of the victims of Bloody Sunday never believed this and they were right not to do so.

In 1997, 25 years after Bloody Sunday, the Government submitted a detailed report to the new Labour Government in Britain with a view to securing a new inquiry. The Government stated that it had "long shared the widespread view that the Widgery report was unsatisfactory" and "did not represent the truth of what happened on that day." The British Government agreed to the new investigation in 1998. It has taken 38 years for the true events of that day to emerge. When making its submission to the British Government in 1997, the Government stated that "the process of healing, reconciliation and ultimately of peace is advanced by a willingness on all sides and on behalf of all victims to acknowledge the overriding values of truth and justice."

The then Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, agreed and said it was "the way forward to the necessary reconciliation which will be such an important part of building a secure future for the people of Northern Ireland." Mr. Blair said he had been moved having spoken to the relatives of Bloody Sunday victims who, he said, did not want recriminations or revenge but simply the truth. The apology two weeks ago by the new British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, is significant and must be welcomed. He was clear and contrite in his statement, describing Bloody Sunday as a tragedy that should never have happened. It was, he said, "unjustified and unjustifiable". The Saville report has since been accepted by all political leaders in Northern Ireland.

There are many more families who have lost loved ones in the Troubles whose deaths have not received the same level of scrutiny. These families do not have closure or a sense of justice for their loved ones. We must begin anew the process of healing. We should now take time to reflect on the next steps for dealing with the tragic legacies of the past. The new Justice Minister for Northern Ireland, Mr. David Ford, stated on Monday that the Saville report has put "truth on the record" and that it undoubtedly raised questions of how Northern Ireland deals with its past and moves forward as a society. He committed to ensuring his Department would play its part in contributing to the promotion of reconciliation and a shared future.

The tragic events of Bloody Sunday were a turning point for Northern Ireland, forcing many who felt the injustice too great into supporting violence. However, a very positive turning point in Northern Ireland's history came in 1998 with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. It is essential to ensure young men are not lured into these organisations by some romantic notion of Irish republicanism and the continuation of an armed struggle. To achieve this we must continue to highlight in any way we can the necessity of implementing in full the Good Friday Agreement so that people will understand that co-operation and power-sharing are the way forward for peace and equality.

I travelled to Belfast last week with members of my party to meet with Northern Ireland's political leaders following the devolution of justice and policing powers. We discussed the Saville report, dissident activities and the possibilities into the future for the island of Ireland. The Independent Monitoring Commission has stated previously - and Fine Gael wholly agrees - that the devolution of policing and justice brings important benefits to Northern Ireland, not least in allowing closer integration of law enforcement with other domestic policies. It will have a real and positive impact on people's lives and the problems they face on a daily basis.

I have had a difficulty with Deputy Ó Caoláin's party for many yeas on the issue of the army council of the IRA. In my presence, following questions, both the president of Sinn Féin, Mr. Gerry Adams, and the Deputy First Minister, Mr. Martin McGuinness, confirmed that from every perspective they could see, the IRA and its army council are no more. I accept the Deputy First Minister's statement in that regard. I shall be writing to him in due course about several other matters.

Thirty-eight years and five months ago to the day, 14 innocent men died. It has taken almost four decades for their families to be able to stand outside the Guildhall in Derry and hear it announced that they were innocent. I support this motion and commend it in its entirety as an overwhelmingly positive response from this Oireachtas.

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