Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last night, I watched the documentary, "No Stone Unturned", along with many other political representatives. It is about the Loughinisland massacre. I thank and give credit to the families of the victims and survivors who attended the screening and spoke to us afterwards in moving terms. The relatives in the Relatives for Justice campaign have shown incredible courage and resolve since that horrific night on 18 June 1994. On that fateful night a group of Irish football fans had gathered in the Heights Bar in Loughinisland to watch the match between Ireland and Italy, as many of us did, in Giants Stadium.

The joy of that night and of Ray Houghton's goal was lost when an Ulster Volunteer Force, UVF, gang burst into the pub and opened fire. The sectarian attack left six men dead and five seriously injured. A 2016 report on the massacre by the Police Ombudsman, Dr. Michael Maguire, is unambiguous. It details systemic collusion between British agents, the Royal Ulster Constabulary, RUC, and the UVF death squad that carried out the attack. The depth of collusion outlined in the report goes beyond the Loughinisland massacre. The report makes a direct link with the Glenanne gang which was involved in the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings. I urge all Members to find an opportunity to watch "No Stone Unturned", if they have not done so already. I also urge them to meet the survivors and the families of the victims.

As we know, it was a horrible and bloody conflict. When watching the documentary, I was conscious that people were hurt throughout the conflict. I am conscious of the hurt inflicted on so many families by Irish republicans during the conflict. I welcome the Taoiseach's statement that no Irish Government will again leave Northern nationalists and Northern Ireland behind. However, it also carries responsibilities.

It was the lack of that involvement that piqued my interest and got me started on that journey many years ago. I remember talking to people in Northern Ireland who felt abandoned at that time and talking to families and relatives after Bloody Sunday. That is history. The important thing is that we look to the future. Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. All of us, particularly the Irish Government, have a responsibility to ensure that the British Government abides by the letter and spirit of the Good Friday Agreement, the Stormont House Agreement and all the other agreements.

Deputy Adams spoke about the statute of limitations for British Crown forces. Again, this idea of bringing forward an amnesty goes directly against the British Government's international obligations to victims and its commitments made at Stormont House. There is an onus on all of us to collectively ramp up our ambition when it comes to the North. We cannot undo the past but we can create the conditions that will lead us all to a better future for everyone on this island.

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