Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste is monitoring the question of Gaza very closely. It is a welcome reprieve that with one exception, there has not been any rocket fire into Israel from Gaza in the past month. I suppose the calm that is there for the moment is an advance. Some of the measures enacted by Israel to relax aspects of the blockade after last November's ceasefire are to be welcomed. They need to go much further and much faster, especially in light of the absence of any rocket fire. There may well be a rare opportunity to convert this pause into a durable cessation of violence in both directions. I think that would be of interest to everybody. I join the Tánaiste in encouraging both sides, and anybody else who can influence the situation, to work to this end. The people of Gaza and southern Israel, some of whom I have met, deserve to live in a normal situation.

The Government has made it very clear that the blockade of Gaza, as currently enforced, has no justification and must be ended. While Israel is quite entitled to defend itself and to block the supply of military materials to Gaza, the measures enforced since 2006 have gone much further than anything that could be justified strictly on the basis of security need. We have consistently drawn the international attention of others to this matter. We have supported the EU in its repeated calls for the full opening of crossing points into Gaza to allow for the normal movement of goods and people. There have been some relaxations of the blockade in recent years, most notably in November following the ceasefire. Clearly, this needs to be accelerated. In the meantime, Ireland has maintained its provision of substantial humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza through the UNRWA and other agencies. As I have said, the Tánaiste is keeping a close eye on this issue.

I do not have any further information on the allegation about former US Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner. I have not raised it with Christine Lagarde, whom I met last week. There are much more immediate challenges and obstacles to be dealt with. I do not know whether any further information about the allegation, which we have discussed in this House on a number of occasions, has become available.

As the Deputy knows, a motion on the Pat Finucane case was unanimously agreed without dissent in this House. I have disagreed publicly with the British Prime Minister about the fact that both Governments committed at Weston Park to follow through on the recommendations made by Judge Cory. We stand by that. I will raise this with the US authorities when I meet them next week.

Deputy Martin also referred to the Boston College papers. I hope to have an opportunity during my visit to the United States to cover a wide range of issues, including developments in Northern Ireland. We keep a watching brief on the Boston College research. The college has a long history of academic engagement in the field of Irish studies. It has played an important part in the recording of the history of Northern Ireland and the peace process. That will obviously be of value to historians, those who study conflict resolution and people in general. As Deputy Martin knows, the British Government on behalf of the PSNI initiated proceedings with the US Department of Justice under the mutual legal assistance treaty between the UK and the US to seek the release of archive records and interviews held in Boston College. The records, which were deposited in the Burns Library of Boston College, are part of the Belfast project, which is an oral history of republican and loyalist paramilitaries and paramilitary activities. Some of those whose testimonies are included in the project have since died, including Dolours Price, who passed away in recent months.

This entire issue is subject to legal proceedings. Legal challenges were launched by Boston College and separately by the researchers to prevent the release of the material. In December 2011, the US District Court dismissed those challenges. Further legal efforts were made on appeal, but the US Federal Court of Appeal turned them down on 6 July 2012. The court ruling means, in effect, that the archive material must be handed over by Boston College to the US authorities to be sent on to their British counterparts. I understand the lead project researchers are considering a motion for rehearing of the case. They are continuing to keep their legal options open in the Belfast courts. I assure Deputy Martin that the Irish Embassy in Washington and the Department of Foreign Affairs will continue to monitor the matter closely.

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