Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Ba mhaith liom go mbeadh an fhírinne faoi gach rud atá imithe le blianta anuas ar fáil. I will not commit myself here to having a series of public inquiries. The Deputy mentioned that there should be an equal and inclusive way of finding this out. He knows more about this than I do in terms of republican atrocities, so I am glad to hear him say that he is prepared to come forward with whatever information is known to him, on which I commend him. It might be appropriate for us to consider the range of incidents where lives were lost, where some analysis should be put into determining the truth by a method to be agreed. There are people here and in Britain who lost loved ones because of these incidents and who have no closure. I am glad to hear the Deputy say, as president of his party, that he is prepared to come forward with information about republican atrocities, which is a good start. I will reflect on what he has said here.

As I said in response to Deputy Martin, I have undertaken to raise the issue of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings with the British Prime Minister. I do not have access to those files, but I will make the case in the best way I can, continuing on the work done by previous taoisigh, who raised it with the British Prime Minister's predecessors. I listened to Margaret Irwin of Justice for the Forgotten. She was very clear that she did not want any flags, banners or statements at the simple wreath-laying ceremony which has been their usual practice on this date, the anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. As somebody remarked to me just passing the wall of Trinity College a short while ago, the mark is still on the wall where one of those cars was placed which resulted in the loss of life of a woman across the street. The Deputy can take it that the Government will regard it as a priority in respect of the continuation of the peace process, the Good Friday Agreement and the St. Andrews Agreement to work with the British Government, the Northern Ireland Assembly, which the people have elected in the interest of the communities on this island, on the development of the economy of the island and in pursuit of fulfilling in full the terms and agreements signed off by the people, North and South, in respect of the Good Friday Agreement. It would be remiss of me not to commit the Government to that and to lead by example.

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