Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her reply. She has outlined a raft of information there and, on paper, everything looks good. While the activities of the Garda in the 1980s may be historical, the impacts have fed through to the modern day. We have cases particularly relating to Donegal in this regard. There must be an examination of how these activities have influenced the Garda all the way through. We must open this up. If everything has changed in the way the Minister has said it has, then that will stand up through an inquiry and be vindicated.

It is important that we highlight this matter. Apart from anything, how can we hold other countries to account for what they are doing and raise issues of this kind through the Council of Europe, for example, when we have this legacy hanging over our selves and this State? Equally, in the North, we are talking about measures that must be enacted there in respect of how the Royal Ulster Constabulary, RUC, behaved when we have this matter hanging over us. We must come clean on this issue.

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