Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We support the motion before the House and acknowledge wholeheartedly that after 42 years we seem to be no closer to the truth, despite the best efforts of Barron and MacEntee and the best efforts of this House as articulated in its report of 2004 and the subsequent motions of 2008 and 2011. Now, here we are again seeking to speak for the victims and articulate on a cross-party basis and in a manner which speaks for all of the people within the 26 counties that we want to assist the victims and their families in seeking truth. I worry sometimes when I stand before this House speaking on this issue. It has taken 42 years of debate, cajoling and efforts on the part of the victims and their families, and I hope we will not let another generation go by before we do finally seek truth on this matter.

I read a speech by the UK Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, recently. It was given on 11 February 2016. In the speech she stated, "The Government fully recognises that it will be much more difficult to achieve our objective of building a genuinely shared future for everyone in Northern Ireland unless and until we can find some way of coming to terms with a divided past." She went on to say:

Where there is evidence of wrongdoing it will be pursued. Everyone is subject to the rule of law.

However, it would appear that not everyone is subject to the rule of law. Why is it that we are still talking about this 42 years later, in an era of supposed transparency, where we are trying to deal with the legacy of the past and have been through two iterations of talks? I was party to those talks in 2014 and 2015 and it seems to me that there is a hunger among the victims and survivors for simple truth and that the issue of reconciliation and moving on as a society will never be attained fully until such time as truth reigns supreme. In this era, when Anglo-Irish relations are extremely positive and evolving in a positive sense, I do not see why we cannot facilitate people who want that basic and fundamental right to justice.

It is worth noting that the Oireachtas sub-committee examination of the Barron report, which dates back to 2004, states:

(ii) ... in all probability most if not all of the perpetrators came from Northern Ireland.

(iii) That in all probability information which identifies and which concerns the perpetrators still exists in Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

(iv) That in all probability most of the information touching on collusion in relation to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings is in Northern Ireland and/or in Great Britain.

They are three very pertinent points and I do not think the situation has changed between 2004 and 2016 in that regard.

I know that successive Governments have raised this issue with successive British Governments and I know, having served as Minister for North-South co-operation, that this has been raised very recently by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Flanagan. I also know, to be fair to the Minister, that he constantly raises this very specific issue, among others, with the Secretary of State.

I believe strongly that this is a worthy motion. Diplomacy is very effective, whether it is economic or political diplomacy. It is important that this House send a message to the British Government on behalf of the Irish people, which is that we will continue to press for justice and truth and that we will allow access by an independent international judicial figure to all original documents in their possession pertaining to these bombings.

These issues need to be tackled if we are to fulfil better relations from an Anglo-Irish and North-South perspective. I believe strongly that this motion is worthy of support on a cross-party basis.

I am keen to acknowledge the work of Justice for the Forgotten. I know those involved are in constant contact with officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. I wish to acknowledge their role as one of many organisations in the Six Counties that continue to advocate for victims. The legacy issues were not dealt with sufficiently in the last iteration of the Stormont talks. There is an important role for this House to play now on a cross-party basis. We must ensure that we continue to press for the legacy issues to be dealt with. Society, North and South, will not fully move on until these issues are dealt with. We have a duty of care to people within the Six Counties to continue to press these issues with the British Government.

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