Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I wish to return to the Pat Finucane case. I agree with the Taoiseach's expression of concern for all the victims. Sinn Féin represents many of those victims. I know many of them and their families. They include members of my family, so I have an affinity with what the Taoiseach said on the issue. The Taoiseach also took the opportunity of responding to my question about Pat Finucane to set out his opposition to the IRA's armed campaign. His position is a matter of historical fact. He also asserts that there was no collusion between this State and the IRA, which I also believe to be true.

However, it is also a matter of fact that the establishment here turned its back for decades on the people in the North. In some cases, elements in the services here, such as the heavy gangs, particularly during that period in the 1970s under a dreadful Fine Gael-led Government, set aside many of the rights of citizens, including the rights of people who were not engaged with any armed groups but were simply strongly nationalist or republican. There were many instances of injustice. In the Taoiseach's native county, the hijacking of the remains of Frank Stagg was a dreadfully dark chapter. Censorship under section 31 was nothing to be proud of. In all of that the issue of collusion between elements in this State and elements of the British security forces does arise, famously in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings and in other cases, including in my constituency of Louth. All of these issues must be probed. Perhaps we should have a wide ranging debate on these matters at some time.

See this speech in context