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

I, too, had an opportunity to watch the most recent television programmes dealing with the subject of collusion. It remains a matter of public record that collusion occurred between British state forces and paramilitaries during the course of the Troubles. In our ongoing bilateral relations and through the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, we have raised with the British Government the issue of collusion, as have successive Irish Governments. We will continue to do so, including with regard to a number of individual cases of long-standing concern, including the Dublin and Monaghan bombings and the case of the late Pat Finucane. In particular, we advocate that all appropriate documentation be made available to be examined using the appropriate mechanisms. Such cases must be adequately addressed if we are to achieve a genuinely reconciled society.

I recently had the opportunity to raise these issues again with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Ms Theresa Villiers, MP. I expect that progress can be reported on these issues in the context of the overall implementation of the Stormont House Agreement, and indeed in response to all-party motions which this House passed unanimously some years ago.

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