Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I had a very good meeting with Ms Finucane and members of her family and their lawyer prior to the function of the Aisling Awards, at which Ms Finucane received the Person of the Year Award. I undertook at that meeting that I would raise this matter with our United States colleagues because of their considerable interest in this over a long period, and I intend to follow through on that. I also said I would explore other ways whereby this might be followed through.

I take note of what Deputy Adams says here. I consider that this particular case is not unique in that a man is dead. My sorrow is for every victim, and I made that perfectly clear both to media and to the Finucane family. However, this was the subject of agreement at Weston Park. There was an agreement that the recommendations of Judge Cory would be followed through on and this was one of those areas where his recommendation was that there should be a public inquiry. This State followed through with that in respect of a similar recommendation, which is why the Smithwick tribunal was set up and is running.

I met subsequently with the Ministers, Mr. Danny Kennedy and Ms Arlene Foster, in Armagh. I noted subsequent comments about requiring that this State should apologise on the basis of a perception of the collusion of this State with killers who would have returned from Northern Ireland to places in the Republic. I want to make it perfectly clear that when the IRA was in operation, it was an enemy of this State-----

See this speech in context