Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

Yesterday, as we debated this motion, relatives of those who were killed and injured in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings sat in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery. I am sure that for them each 17 May is a stark reminder of their loss, and for those who were injured it brings back painful memories. However, I am sure that they have many other days when they recall their loss, when they mourn the absent person at a special family event.

As elected representatives of this House, we had the opportunity yesterday and again this evening to show that we are conscious of their loss, that we remember their pain and that all parties represented in this House agreed to send a strong and clear signal to our counterparts in Westminster that the issue of access to files remains to be addressed. I welcome the fact that this is an all-party motion and that there is no contention in this House on the issue.

The Tánaiste met with a delegation from the Justice for the Forgotten group last week and told them that he had raised the issue with the Secretary of State, Mr. Owen Paterson, and with the Foreign Secretary, Mr. William Hague. As we heard from Foreign Secretary Hague this morning, his Government is happy to discuss this issue. At the Tánaiste's meeting with the Justice for the Forgotten group, the pain that relatives still feel was evident but so too was their quiet and determined dignity. Their need for answers about what happened to their loved ones was also evident. They said that they could not get those answers on their own. They are right in saying that. Yesterday and today, this House has had the opportunity to show them that they are not on their own. As a Government, we told them we want to help in any way we can and to support their ongoing efforts. I can confirm to the House tonight that the Taoiseach has met with the British Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron, in Dublin this evening and has raised this specific matter with him in the course of his discussions.

Yesterday, families gathered to remember those who were killed and injured in Dublin and Monaghan in 1974 but also those who were killed in the bombings in Dublin in 1972 and 1973. Speakers in the House yesterday recalled the bombings in Clones, Pettigo and Belturbet. In the course of the violent decades that affected our island and our neighbouring island, more than 3,600 people lost their lives. Many thousands more were injured. Several speakers in the debate last evening recalled that there were victims from all parts of the community.

Many speakers yesterday and today have spoken about the legacy of the troubled history of the people who share this island and those in the neighbouring island. Too many families across these islands mourn the loss of a loved one. Too many bear the physical and emotional scars of the conflict that blighted these islands from criminal terrorist groups for far too long. Speakers yesterday recalled that we need to find a way forward which treats all victims equally. There are many different ways of developing this issue. That has been the case in many parts of the world where different formulas have been found.

The Government commits itself to working with the British Government and with our colleagues in the Northern Ireland Assembly to address this legacy. In the Good Friday Agreement the participants "recognised that victims have a right to remember as well as to contribute to a changed society". The visit by the Head of State of our nearest neighbour is a sign of that changed society. In debating this motion, this House recognises that, in addition to the responsibility we all have to the future, we have a duty to remember.

Yesterday, on the streets of Dublin we saw violent and destructive conduct displayed by a small group of people who would seek to drag our country back to the dark days of violence that blighted this city and this island for far too long. As elected representatives of the Oireachtas we can reaffirm that we do not wish any other family to suffer that loss. We can remind those who might seek to go back to that dark time that the overwhelming majority of the electorate throughout this island continue to reject that path.

As we move forward to a better future for all who live on this island, let us ensure that as we seek the truth for the families of the victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings we also address the wider legacy of the past. Let us recommit ourselves in agreeing this all-party motion this evening to making sure that the legacy we leave the next generation is not one of conflict, but one of a shared and brighter future.

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