Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The British Government's so-called Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill has been nicknamed the Bill of shame by victims and survivors of the conflict. That is absolutely no surprise. In 2014, the British Government was a co-signatory, with the five main parties in the North, to the Stormont House Agreement. That agreement was the first sign that there would be a human rights-based, legally compliant approach to the outstanding matter of victims' rights following our conflict. The Good Friday Agreement made only cursory mention of victims and survivors, but it did mention that it was important to address the suffering of victims and survivors and it acknowledged that justice was essential for peace. After that, we witnessed piecemeal, if important, approaches to addressing the experiences of some victims. It was not enough.

The proposals of the Consultative Group on the Past, a body appointed by the British Government, included, among a wide range of recommendations, human rights-compliant investigations. The British Government rejected the proposals of the body it had appointed. Victims then saw the proposals from the Haass-O'Sullivan process disregarded by unionism. In 2014, with all the vested interests at the table, there was progress at last. The stalling and bad faith by the British Government since that date have been a source of incredible disappointment and frustration for families, with many family members, sadly, passing away in the meantime. It is worth noting that in parallel with this bad faith, the British Government, when reporting to the United Nations and the Council of Europe, has relied on its commitment to the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement as its vehicle for remedy of outstanding and serious human rights violations. Last year's command paper on dealing with the legacy of the past indicated that this bad faith was now out in the open. The British Government was willing unilaterally to abandon its intergovernmental approach on the Stormont House Agreement and, by extension, the Good Friday Agreement. In doing so, it was willing to abandon its legal and moral obligations to victims and survivors.

Yesterday, the Conservative Party passed Second Stage of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, notwithstanding that every single political party on this island, North and South, clearly opposed its contents, and with disregard to every single victims and survivors group. It has done so despite all legal and independent advice that the Bill is anti-law and anti-human rights. We in the Dáil must acknowledge that while the British Government might try to enter rogue state territory with its approach, victims and survivors - Irish citizens - retain their human rights. We must strive to ensure those rights are upheld. If the mothers of children killed with impunity can stand in dignity and with resolve, like Marian Walsh, the mother of 17-year-old Damien, who was killed at his work in 1993, did yesterday, with complete determination, outside the Northern Ireland Office's shiny new building in Belfast, then we must stand with them. If Alana McShane, the sister of 17-year-old Gavin, who was killed while going to school in 1994, only weeks before the ceasefire, could leave her mother Maria's month's mind yesterday to travel to Downing Street to hand in a letter to Boris Johnson, then we can amplify her voice.

The British Government thinks it can do whatever it wants to citizens in this country. It thinks it can be responsible for killings, collusion in killings, cover-up of its nefarious practices and perpetuating impunity, and then pretend to be neutral. It thinks it can introduce an amnesty for all actors to the conflict with a veil of truth exchange that is of no value and that debases the very concept of truth. It thinks hurt, pain and trauma can be swept aside. The British Government does not care for these victims at all and it does not know them. It does not know their courage, determination or, indeed, their resolve. These families are saying they will never give in. We all, to a person, must join them.

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