Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Some 764 days ago, when the Executive was brought down, it had fallen into massive public disrepute.

Of course Deputy Micheál Martin and others would know that if they were actually organised on the ground, as some of the rest of us are, and if they enjoyed an electoral mandate from the communities that said they would not tolerate the likes of the renewable heat incentive scheme. An inquiry is under way and it will report. When it makes its findings, I imagine we can all reflect on that.

There was an agreement last February to put the institutions back up. Unfortunately, it was not to be. I believe the next round of talks must succeed but for us to have a real prospect of success and for success to be arrived at, we need answers. By "we" I do not mean political parties but that citizens need answers to the outstanding issues. This means the DUP and the British Government must stop blocking rights that citizens elsewhere in Britain and across this island openly enjoy. This is not rocket science - no one is being asked to split the atom. This is actually straightforward.

I am keen to reassure Deputy Burton that policing is still very much supported in the North of Ireland and that the Northern Ireland Policing Board and other mechanisms carry out scrutiny and oversight. I wish to advise the House that last week it came to light that the PSNI had failed to disclose sensitive information to the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland as it is obliged to do under law. The information related to several killings, including those of five people at Sean Graham bookmakers on the Ormeau Road in February 1992. The killings in question involved weapons supplied to loyalist paramilitaries by British agents and included the active participation of British agents. All of this is established and accepted public fact. I met the families yesterday, a Cheann Comhairle, who are awaiting but who will now not receive a report from the ombudsman. I could not overstate the distress and anger they feel.

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