Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. Deputy Smith made reference to a report that he sought acknowledgement of, as well as a commitment on the part of the Government to further explore and to raise with the British Government in the context of our aspiration for the truth to emanate from such hard work on the part of many, not least the O'Reilly and Stanley families. The McConvilles, the Stacks in Laois, the Finucanes as well as the Stanleys and O'Reillys deserve some form of resolution. They deserve a process and the further advancement of the magnificent peace we have achieved. They deserve a forum or mechanism to resolve their outstanding issues but to date they have had no success. While we reap the rewards of peace, acknowledge the potential of peace and strive to fulfil the aspirations contained in agreements reached by previous Governments, we must remember that many have lost and many have seen others benefit from the mayhem and murder that was inflicted upon them. I include here the McCabes in Limerick as well as the others I have already mentioned. There must be a means by which we seek and find the truth.

The Irish and British security forces met shortly after the atrocity in Belturbet and agreed to lock away a lot of the information that was available to them until 2057. That was done in the context of the Troubles and the enormous strife of that time but it was not done with the knowledge of the peaceful resolution that has since materialised. It is for that reason that I ask for a renewed effort on the part of both Governments.

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