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

I assure Deputy Smith that I have consistently raised the issue with my counterpart, Secretary of State Villiers. I acknowledge the contribution, help, assistance and influence of the leader of the Opposition and Deputy Smith not just recently, but over a long period of time. I assure the Deputy that, in the context of my deliberations, my Department has a long-standing relationship with the Justice for the Forgotten group. We have had several meetings with it, both at official and ministerial levels. I would be happy, as I said in my reply, to have an opportunity to meet it and I undertake to take up the matter in a vigorous and vociferous way as soon as the new Secretary of State is appointed, following the election in Britain on 7 May.

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