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

The British Government's Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is an absolutely deplorable piece of legislation. Yesterday, most regrettably, this Bill was passed in the House of Lords and returned to the Commons with amendments. The only suitable amendment to this reprehensible legislation would be to withdraw it in its entirety. This Bill, as proposed, would give murderers and the perpetrators of other heinous crimes the right to give themselves an amnesty for such misdemeanours. That would suit criminals belonging to British state forces and paramilitary organisations. In any democratic society, this should not be acceptable. Our total opposition to this Bill must be outlined repeatedly to the British Prime Minister and his Government. Dealing properly with the legacy of the past is very important. Families who have campaigned with such grace and dignity over decades cannot be abandoned through the implementation of such legislation. I repeat again that the closing-off of access to the inquests, police ombudsman investigations, civil cases and police investigations simply must not happen.

See this speech in context