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

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. This report from the police ombudsman is a very significant one. It is a deeply disturbing report and, as the Deputy stated, the second such report in a matter of weeks. Examining those attacks, in particular that in south Belfast in Sean Graham bookmakers, resulting in many murders and one attempted murder, it has found very strong evidence of investigative and intelligence failures and collusive behaviours by the RUC as defined by the ombudsman, including the continued unjustifiable use of informants involved in serious criminality and murder and, crucially and unacceptably, the return of weapons to loyalist paramilitaries. It is simply appalling, what has been presented in the report of the ombudsman.

I did say yesterday in the House that I met several victims' groups last week, Relatives for Justice being one. Among that group was Mark Sykes, who was there in the bookmakers and was shot. It was very emotional for him to have to recount, 30 years on, what happened to him and what he witnessed and how long he has had to campaign to get this report of the ombudsman published. The predecessor to the current ombudsman was working on this for quite some years as well. As the Deputy is aware, he is a survivor of the Sean Graham bookmakers attack. I was grateful to him for talking me through his experiences even though it was very difficult for him. I also spoke to other victims of other atrocities as well last week.

What it does bring home in the first instance is that we do need a comprehensive and agreed framework to deal with the painful legacy of our past. We have had the Stormont House Agreement and other agreements and the British Government does need to adhere to agreements it entered into in the context of the Good Friday Agreement and in the context of legacy. I have made this point to the British Prime Minister and we have made this point consistently to the British Government that legacy is important in terms of the overall architecture of the Good Friday Agreement and the need to follow through on it. There has been too much foot-dragging regarding agreements that have been entered into.

The Deputy referenced the Smithwick inquiry. The Irish Government fulfilled its obligations under the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements, around legacy. Anything we were asked to do, we did. We stand ready. I have said this to other groups and victims and political representatives of other victims who feel they have not got full closure or have not got prosecutions in respect of their loved ones who were murdered and they would allege collusion in the Republic. I said to come and meet us and that if we have any information, we will provide it as a State because we believe that is our obligation.

See this speech in context