Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On this day, the 26th anniversary of the murder of Pat Finucane, I wish to express sympathy, on my own behalf and on behalf of members of the Government, to Mrs. Geraldine Finucane and all the Finucane family. That any family should witness the cold-blooded murder of a loved one is appalling. That their quest for the full and transparent truth about the horrendous events of that day is still ongoing only compounds their sense of loss and grief. This is why successive Irish Governments have consistently supported the call on behalf of the Finucane family for a full, independent and public judicial inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane, in line with the commitments made by the Irish and British Governments at Weston Park in 2001. As Deputies will be aware, this position has the cross-party support of this House following an all-party motion of 2006 which called for the immediate establishment of such an inquiry.

In October 2011, the British Government announced that Desmond de Silva QC would conduct a legal review into the circumstances surrounding the murder of Pat Finucane. The review was proposed as an alternative to the public inquiry which had been recommended by the Canadian judge, Judge Cory, in his independent report produced in accordance with the commitments of the Weston Park agreement. The report of the de Silva review was published in December 2012. It found that there was state collusion in the case and that "a series of positive actions by employees of the State actively furthered and facilitated [Pat Finucane's] murder, and that, in the aftermath of the murder, there was a relentless attempt to defeat the ends of justice".

In his statement to the House of Commons on 12 December 2012, Prime Minister Cameron accepted the report's findings of shocking levels of state collusion and repeated his apology to the Finucane family. He disagreed, however, that a public inquiry would produce a fuller picture of what happened and what went wrong. Following the publication of the report, the Government reiterated our position on the need for an independent public inquiry into the murder in accordance with the Weston Park agreement and the recommendation of Judge Cory.

We continue to do so. As recently as yesterday, I raised the issue during my meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers. She repeated, as I am sure she did to Deputy Adams this afternoon, the current British Government's position that the clear findings of the de Silva review report and Prime Minister Cameron's public apology in the House of Commons constitute her Government's response to the case and that it does not intend to provide for a full public inquiry. I note that following the publication of the de Silva review report, the opposition Labour Party in Britain indicated that it believes a public inquiry is necessary for Pat Finucane's family and for Northern Ireland. I understand that judicial review proceedings are being taken by Mrs. Finucane in the High Court in Northern Ireland regarding the decision not to hold a public inquiry.

I reiterate to Deputy Adams and indeed to the House that today is a particularly sad day for the Finucane family. I reiterate my condolences to them on their great loss. The Irish Government will continue to support them in their quest for a full public truth regarding the dreadful events of 26 years ago.

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