Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

I raise this because, for example, 2,782 trade unionists have been murdered since 1986. There have been appalling exemplary killings and one can discern the reason for my questions when one considers that 70,000 people were killed in 20 years and a further 30,000 people disappeared, when there are 14,000 to 17,000 people in paramilitary armed gangs and when one has met, as my colleagues and I did, the mothers of those who were assassinated. The Minister of State should be aware of the important point that in the first 75 days of the new Government, five trade unionists, seven indigenous leaders, two community educators and two leading members of the organisation dealing with sexual minorities have been killed. The net point is on whether there is to be a dividend. In other words, people are saying that if the agreement is signed and then an attempt made to attach the human rights compliance afterwards, the point will be lost. The view from those who represent those who were murdered and their relatives, who believe there is impunity, is that one will be perceived to be rewarding an administration that has succeeded another administration that has not shown transparency in respect of impunity, compensation of the victims or land redistribution. This is the reason I asked for it to be a mixed agreement in order that the human rights requirements are central and not additional to the agreement.

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