Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Minister's very strong words. I commend the work of Joanna Cherry MP, other MPs and Members of the House of Lords in the context of their strong condemnation of the British Government's proposals. The Minister will recall that we had many discussions in private, in the House and at committee regarding the Dublin-Monaghan bombings of 1974 and the terrible bombing at Belturbet in my constituency in December 1972 in which two innocent teenagers were murdered. I, along with families, have campaigned for decades to get to the truth. People have gone about with great grace and dignity to try to get the truth about who carried out murders and serious crimes against their loved ones. Under no circumstances could any democratic government put a proposal to families that they abandon everything they fought for over the years and decades. Some people have been fighting for half a century.

I want the Government to continue its strong opposition to the proposal in question. We cannot accept a situation whereby murderers would be given a de factoamnesty. The Bill should be dropped entirely. We should go back to the Stormont House Agreement that has the potential to deal with the campaigns for justice for the Dublin-Monaghan and Belturbet bombings and the families we all want to assist.

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