Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am very aware of his long-standing interest in it. There is nothing in his contribution with which I disagree. Individuals in Northern Ireland were the victims of terrible atrocities, for which there can be no excuse of any description or any political justification. Over the course of the conflict in Northern Ireland a number of people were murdered and buried secretly by paramilitary organisations, mainly the Provisional IRA. They have become known as the disappeared, as have others on other continents and in other countries who were treated similarly. This was a brutal practice, not alone the commission of kidnap and murder but also the further, profound injustice inflicted on the families of the people who were killed. Those responsible for the murder of the innocents and concealing their remains simply have no moral compass and there can be no moral justification for their conduct. The families, whose raw grief was once again highlighted in last night's television documentary which I watched, have had a peculiarly cruel tragedy visited on them; they not only lost their loved ones to murder but also for many decades did not even know of their fate and had no graveside at which to grieve.

I have met the victims' families and pay tribute to their dignity and fortitude in the face of their suffering. Too many have had false hopes when it was thought that remains might be found, only to discover that the information furnished had proved to be inaccurate. Once again, I extend my deepest sympathy to them on their loss and assure them of my continuing support for their efforts to recover their loved ones. The Taoiseach also met the families in July and assured them of the Government's continued support for them and its commitment to this humanitarian process. Those who were involved in these callous acts of disappearance should be keenly conscious of the abhorrent nature of what they have done. They should also feel the strongest moral obligation to do all they can to try to right the wrong done to the victims and their families.

The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains was established in 1999 by the Irish and British Governments and will continue to be supported by the two Governments. It was one of a key set of actions aimed at addressing the suffering of the victims of violence as a necessary element of reconciliation. In its work the commission is not involved in making moral judgments on those who ordered or participated in such appallingly brutal acts. It is responsible for facilitating the. location of the remains of the disappeared and its sole objective is to return the remains of the victims to their families in order that they can receive a decent burial and the families will have a grave at which to grieve and remember. In this way, the families may, in some measure at least, achieve resolution or closure in regard to the deaths of their loved ones.

The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains has received co-operation from many sources, including from many in the organisations responsible, over the course of its work in locating the victims' remains.

However, as there are still seven victims on the commission's list whose remains have not yet been found, we have to constantly see if more can be done. The commission needs further information to be able to progress its investigations and this is the only resource that is missing. I appeal, therefore, to anybody anywhere who has information that might assist the commission to provide that information, in confidence, so that it can be acted upon. The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains operates a confidential telephone line and post office box and details can be found on its website.Nobody has anything to fear by providing information, and information provided to the commission is guaranteed the strictest confidence and can only be used for the purpose of locating and recovering the victims' remains. The families have endured for long enough. Although some of them have had the remains of their loved ones returned to them, there are others who still wait and who still suffer to this very day. That suffering was clearly apparent in last night's programme. There can be absolutely no excuse for those who have information to withhold it and for the sake of common human decency they should provide that information without delay. Both RTE and the BBC should be congratulated on the programme broadcast last night for yet again detailing the plight of the families, the suffering being endured and the need to ensure missing information can be furnished.

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