Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is an extremely important debate. Like Deputies Adams and Fitzpatrick and the Minister of State, Deputy Nash, I represent the Louth constituency. We are all aware of the impact, in both human and economic terms, the Troubles in the North had on our constituency from the outset. A cloud will continue to hang over the country until all of the outstanding issues are finally resolved.

Maíria Cahill was in the Visitors Gallery earlier. I did not meet her but I did meet the parents of Paul Quinn who was murdered by members of the IRA in 2007. Mr. Quinn's parents, Bríd and Stephen, are still grievously upset about the appallingly vicious way in which he was murdered. Every bone in Mr. Quinn's body was broken by the thugs who killed him. At this time, I remember Jean McConville, a mother of ten, who was murdered by the IRA in Belfast and who for 31 years was buried in an unmarked grave in my constituency. Mrs. McConville's murder was a terrible, appalling and evil act. I also recall Tom Oliver, a well-known and popular farmer in north County Louth, who was most cruelly and evilly done to death by the IRA.

We should bear in mind all the hooded and tortured bodies buried in Louth, Armagh, Monaghan and other counties, in addition to the Members of the Oireachtas, soldiers and gardaí who died at the hands of the IRA. That is the legacy this country must now deal with.

The fundamental issue today is that a young 16 year old woman, a child, was raped. The perpetrator was allegedly a close family member and the matter was reported at the time to the IRA, of which Deputy Gerry Adams claims never to have been a member. What happened is that the perpetrator was apparently banished to somewhere else. The key issue today concerns whether the victim can have justice. Please God, she can. I welcome the proposals for an inquiry, which have cross-party support.

The appalling abuse perpetrated against Maíria Cahill was perpetrated against others also. The victims had no justice and the perpetrators were driven south. We do not know who the latter are. We know, and Deputy Adams is on the record as having said, although he may correct me if I am wrong, that County Louth was mentioned as one of the counties, as were counties Monaghan, Donegal and-----

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