Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies for raising those various issues. Deputy Brendan Smith has been a very strong advocate for the Stanley and Reilly families for many years regarding the murder of their loved ones, Patrick and Geraldine, in the 1972 Belturbet bombing and also in respect of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. The information about the Nottingham University research which the Deputy referred to has been forwarded, as he said, to the Minister for Justice and may establish that there was collusion with the UVF in the context of that heinous crime. We will continue to pursue those issues. The key point is that the Stormont House Agreement provides us with mechanisms to deal with some of these cases but there must be political will on all fronts. The British Government must also be clearer about providing access to its files. The Irish Government has been open about any assertions of collusion in the Republic in respect of certain crimes and the Smithwick tribunal was an example of this. We continue to be open-minded about co-operating with any allegations or assertions in that regard but equally the British Government and other parties must come forward as well, in the form of giving full access to information and to all the files and papers relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, as Deputy Brendan Smith has articulated. There must also a collective approach to legacy issues; there cannot be a unilateral one.

On issue of the protocol, which was raised by Deputy Durkan and others, the key avenues for resolving this are the Šefčovič-Frost discussions, the joint committee, the mechanisms in place in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the withdrawal agreement and the protocol itself. Where there is a will there is a way. I have spoken to Vice President Šefčovič and I have met with the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State, Lord Frost. The issues that are outstanding can without question be resolved if there is a will to resolve them and progress can be made. It is important all sides go at this with a view to, as Deputy Kelly said, defusing tensions and doing the responsible and sensible thing here to deal with the trading aspects of this protocol. The intervention by the American Administration last week, in making it clear that agreeing a sanitary and phytosanitary, SPS, agreement would not impair the capacity of the UK to do a comprehensive trade deal with the US, is significant. An SPS agreement was something the UK had advanced as being problematic. An SPS agreement would potentially remove up to 80% of the issues that have arisen. There are issues to be resolved, but I am convinced of Europe's bona fides in this regard and of its desire to have these issues resolved.

I should say we are not at the stage of trade tariffs, sanctions or anything like that yet. There needs to be serious engagement on the issues. If there is serious engagement, progress will be made. There is no doubt about that. The issue is whether people want progress to be made and whether there is a political will to make progress. The latter must be there on all sides.

See this speech in context