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

I welcome the fact that there has been much more active engagement at heads of government and ministerial level between the Irish and British Governments. This needs to continue. The Taoiseach will recall that when the British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly met in his constituency of Wicklow, members of the British and Irish delegations, including me, spoke about the need to intensify engagements at bilateral level, at political and public service level and in our parliamentary relations across these islands between the different jurisdictions. I am glad there is progress in that respect and that progress needs to continue.

The Taoiseach referred to the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act. On many occasions in this House, both with his predecessor Deputy Varadkar and the Tánaiste, I have raised the need to have that legislation replaced. It is a deplorable piece of legislation that gives murderers the right to declare amnesty for themselves and to absolve of the most heinous of crimes. That is not acceptable, regardless of whether people from British state forces or paramilitary organisations carried out those horrific and heinous acts.

There is no way that legislation should be enacted. My understanding is that the UK Labour Party promised in its manifesto to repeal and replace the Act. I have heard some commentary from people in Northern Ireland who are quite concerned that the Secretary of State has not indicated a complete repeal of the Act. He has talked about repealing parts of it. As the Taoiseach knows well, the Government needs to be very vigilant and diligent on this issue.

I have raised the lack of co-operation with the British Government on the investigation into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings on many occasions in the House. That was the day on which there was the most serious loss of life on this island during the Troubles. We also need full co-operation with regard to the investigation into the Belturbet bombing on 28 December 1972, when two young teenagers were killed. We all know that act was perpetrated by the UVF, but nobody has been brought to justice. Those inquiries must be given more momentum.

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