Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

It is not simply a case of stating we are party to an agreement and asking them to do the necessary. This is an international agreement which has been breached by one party to it. However, it is not as though the party which has breached the agreement has indicated it does not intend to do anything about it. It has made an appointment of a senior counsel to go through and examine all of the papers relative to the Finucane case, which I understand to be very extensive in number. The Finucane family was very disappointed by that decision and took a judicial review.

From a political perspective, the response must be to tell the British Prime Minister that there was an agreement which his Government has not honoured. In addition, because of our connections with other areas, the response must be to raise it directly with the President of the United States, as well as with Senators and Members of Congress who have an interest in this matter, in order that through their connections with their British counterparts or whatever else, they can remind the latter that they did not honour this agreement and can ask them to live up to it. They can tell the British it was agreed that this is what would happen in advance but that they have not followed through.

While the judicial review sought by the family is one case taken by them, I prefer to think a conclusion could be arrived at by a political route. Although persistence certainly is required, in that one must raise such matters more than once, the Deputy should believe my assertion that this is an issue of which I do not wish to and will not let go. It is a serious matter that two sovereign Governments would make an arrangement and agreement to honour whatever was recommended by the person appointed. There is a trust and responsibility to live up to this commitment and I note this State honoured its share of that agreement. I hope we can arrive at a position at which the British Government will do the same thing. Obviously, I do not speak for it and cannot direct that it reverses its decision about the Queen's counsel but I would like to think that the agreement in place will be honoured in full.

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