Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is regrettable that there has not been a motion in this House on the Ballymurphy case and it is important that we move things on. This has been going on for many years now. I can recall, as Minister for Foreign Affairs, that we made a proposal that a UN panel would be established. I understand from Deputy Adams that a different type of panel, a Hillsborough-type panel, is now being proposed. The British have been saying all along that they do not want to do a full-scale Bloody Sunday-type inquiry. However, if agreement has been reached in terms of what the relatives would like, then we should push for the incorporation of this within the motion and have it as a position to put to the British Government to ensure it happens. With the march of time, it is probably more frustrating in terms of bringing closure to the relatives of the victims of that massacre.

Has the Taoiseach any plans to meet the parents of Paul Quinn who was murdered? I met Stephen and Breege recently. The absence of any justice for this family is also very telling. This was a barbaric murder involving perhaps up to 20 people in a barn. As a mother said to me, they broke every bone in his body. What was said in the aftermath of this by political representatives and others in Sinn Féin left much to be desired in terms of the undermining of the man's reputation. There is a lot of sourness and unease about this and I am concerned about the lack of any progress in the investigation.

In terms of the education dimension to this and the budget, we should be investing in education in the North even more than has been invested already to deal with the issues of school completion and 500 teachers being lost as a result of the Stormont talks. It is quite extraordinary given the large level of early school-leaving which is very problematic from a societal point of view. Sinn Féin talks a good story. I have not heard one that has been substantiated. Sinn Féin talks like Syriza in the Republic but acts like the Tories in Northern Ireland. This is the reality. I cannot understand why education is not protected and enhanced in terms of any agreements. We need to speak to the British Government about this because there will be long-term problems if we do not deal with this.

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