Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important motion. I also welcome the intervention by the Taoiseach and acknowledge that now is a time to take stock, not to come up with further calls for other atrocities to be investigated, to evaluate this report properly and to listen to the people of Northern Ireland.

On 30 January 1972, 28 unarmed civil rights marchers were injured, with 14 people subsequently dying. The public acknowledgement of the innocence of these 14 people in Westminster by the British Prime Minister is significant historically and marks a watershed in our moving forward as a nation and in terms of the Good Friday Agreement. As the Taoiseach said, it is important that we listen to the people. I met a woman from Derry who is friendly with some of the families who saw relatives murdered that day. She spoke about the power and symbolism of the British apology, that it meant a great deal to see the British Prime Minister make that apology and emphasising the unjustifiable nature of these murders.

We must also think about what we do next. People will ask what will happen, a question Deputy Crawford, Deputy Kenny and I heard from many of the politicians we met in Stormont last Monday. Where do we go from here? The historical inquiries team has 50 detectives working on unsolved killings. The Bradley Eames report raised the question of money in an insensitive way. We must, however, look at the 3,500 who were killed in Northern Ireland as a result of the troubles, and the impracticality of a Saville inquiry for every atrocity. There is general agreement across the religious, political and community divide in Northern Ireland that these murders were unjustifiable. We must also take stock of Ballymurphy, Greysteel and other atrocities. We must find a way forward and a solution. We owe it to those who went through the 38 years of heartbreak, challenging a system to establish the innocence of their relatives, to take their viewpoints on board.

I acknowledge the journalist Éamonn McCann, who has been at the coalface of the campaign for 38 years. His name has become synonymous with the Saville report, a Derryman representing his people. A family member of one of those killed was asked where we should go from here. The answer was succinct, that we must keep on keeping on. That is the call from those affected by this, they want to continue the debate and to come up with solutions for other atrocities.

See this speech in context