Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I have 11 of these questions. Five of them are what I would consider questions of substance. Most of those relate to parts of agreements between the Irish and British Governments and some relate to parts of international agreements. Therefore, I would like the opportunity to come back on them.

I will concentrate, if I could, on the Pat Finucane killing and the Government's efforts on that. I welcome very much the Taoiseach's meeting with Ms Geraldine Finucane.

If I could make a number of suggestions on how this case can be advanced, first, the British Government has acted in breach of the Weston Park agreement. There were a number of parts of that agreement in terms of killings, all of which have been put in place. Some of them have completed their findings. On this one, the British have not acted. This is unusual in so far as it is a breach of an agreement between the Government here and the government in London.

I wonder has the Taoiseach instructed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, or would he, to provide a briefing paper on these matters for the widest possible international distribution. I wonder could such a paper ask organisations, individuals and other Governments to publicly support the Finucane family's demand for an independent inquiry. Would the Taoiseach instruct our embassies to raise this issue in discussions with other Governments? In particular, would he instruct our embassy and consulates in the USA and in Europe to raise these issues with the government in London? Would he formally raise this issue at the UN, at EU ministerial level, etc.? In other words, would the Government, in supporting what is an all-party motion of the Dáil and a long-standing campaign by the family, use all of its resources, contacts and diplomatic skills to ensure that the British Government gives the Finucane family what the Dáil and the Finucane family have asked for?

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