Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is a slightly wider road to this, because this State is a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement. I do not know if the Minister is aware that there are people in Northern Ireland who have been awaiting trial for up to eight years. They have been held on remand and incredibly strict bail conditions for that period. This is contrary to basic human rights. A fundamental tenet of the law has to be that everybody is not only entitled to justice but to justice in good time. There are also much longer remands in Northern Ireland than in most states. Has the Minister raised concerns or is she willing to raise concerns about these incredibly long periods of remand and bail? If the Minister wants, I can provide further details of the cases. A document has been prepared that outlines the serious human rights concerns involved. Would the Minister be willing to raise this with her counterpart? Justice has to go two ways. The justice system must act in a fair and just manner.

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