Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----or taunted in so many different ways. The First Minister asked for those three actions and they are already happening. Beyond that, the Minister for Justice and Equality regularly reviews with the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice the ongoing criminal investigations into these allegations. All of them are being investigated. It is not the case that nothing is happening. The process that the Deputy First Minister sought is already in place, but it is not a formal end of the North-South Ministerial Council and is dealt with bilaterally. It is about how to put in place some facility, if not a structure, to expand beyond the current arrangement whereby the two Ministers discuss these issues on a regular basis with the Garda and PSNI, along with the independent investigations that are taking place. I am not sure what more he refers to that can actually happen, when there is support, counselling and so on North and South.

As far as we can be aware, there are significant numbers of other people in Northern Ireland who have this information that needs to be brought out, and they are terrified that the same thing will happen to them. In other words, if they speak, they might find themselves on a lonely road or whatever. That is not acceptable in any circumstances, no matter what organisation those people were members of - the republican movement, the provisional IRA, or any party.

I do not have a difficulty saying to the British Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron, or the North-South Ministerial Council what else we in this jurisdiction and in Northern Ireland can do beyond what is being sought by the Deputy First Minister, which is already in place. I do not want to prejudge the outcome of comments made or the response given by Sinn Féin public representatives or others who speak on their behalf on a television programme to be transmitted this evening. It is a matter of the most serious concern and one that should not be conditional on what we must do.

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