Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

While I remember it, I will start with the Deputy's point about the hub, which is a good idea. I am very eager to engage, and to have our counterparts here engage, with Ministers Murphy and Archibald on it. If that has not happened, I will ask that it does. It is a sensible suggestion that the Deputy has made. He also referenced the case of Sean Brown. I will say, on the record of the House, that my thoughts are with the family of Sean Brown, particularly his widow, Bridie, following the announcement that the British Government will not establish a public inquiry into the killing. The Brown family has campaigned tirelessly for the past 27 years for truth, transparency and accountability. Officials from our Government met with the Brown family on 26 September to discuss how best the Government can support them going forward in their campaign. It is very clear to me that the British Government cannot leave matters as they currently stand in relation to this case.

I thank Deputy Smith for the work he and his colleagues do on the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. It takes on renewed importance at this time of a reset of Anglo-Irish relations. It is to be hoped there can be an intensity of that engagement the Deputy wishes for. I will do all I can to assist with that.

In response to Deputies Smith and Conway-Walsh, I welcome the fact that we now have now have a British Government that is committed to repealing and replacing the legacy Act. That is really important. However, we also have to be very honest. So far, it has not happened yet. We have that commitment. That is welcome. We want to engage on it, but it has not yet happened. I would like to see progress and action soon, especially regarding the kind of important engagement that needs to take place, because that is what did not happen in this past. We have to learn from the mistakes made by previous British Governments in railroading through legislation that nobody wanted in terms of any political party in Northern Ireland. This Government certainly did not want it, and I do not think anyone in this House did too. In the meantime, we will continue to engage with the British Government to explore whether and how we can develop an agreed approach. On Deputy Conway-Walsh's point, I would like to get to a point where, through a process of meaningful joint work between our Governments, we would no longer need to take that inter-state case. I accept that we are not at that point yet. No one wants to find ourselves in an inter-state case with Britain. That is not where we want to be, but we need to see progress. There is an important sequencing in that regard. I hope Sinn Féin is meeting with the Secretary of State, who I believe to be a good person, and engaging in good faith. I hope it is a productive meeting.

Deputy Smith raised the Belturbet bombing. I agree with the Deputy on its importance. This is one of the many reasons we need to make progress on legacy.

Deputies Boyd Barrett, Murphy, Barry and Ó Murchú raised the issue of Israel and the actions of this Government. First, to be clear, when I meet everybody, publicly and privately, including the President of the United States of America, I raise the issue of weapons. I believe every country needs to use every lever at its disposal to bring about a ceasefire and stop the violence. In some cases such as Ireland, that does not involve weapons, but in the case of the United States it does. People are trying - for whatever reason - to suggest things that simply are not true. Deputy Barry did not want me to meet the President of the United States, a point he made as I set off from the House to meet him. That is the Deputy's prerogative. I believe it is extremely important that we do. I believe it is extraordinarily important that we continue to engage with the British Prime Minister for a whole variety of reasons, not least the peace process and the UK being our nearest neighbours. There is a sincerity from people in wanting to see a ceasefire, but the actions of the world to bring it about have been utterly ineffective. I made a point not a million miles from Deputy Boyd Barrett's point at the European Council this week, when I asked what is the tipping point at which the European Union decides to take action on the association agreement. The reality - I am being very honest in this House - is that it is a minority view among member states that the association agreement on trade should be reviewed. I find that deeply unsettling, quite frankly. Spain and Slovenia share our view, and a number of other countries may share the view, but certainly not a majority of countries. That is why we have looked at the Occupied Territories Bill in the light of the ICJ advisory opinion to see if there is a new context now. The international court matters, what it says matters and in the view of this Government, it places an obligation on member states to act. It is not the same thing as saying that the Occupied Territories Bill as it is works, but we are willing now to engage in light of the new Attorney General advice I sought. As soon as today, the Tánaiste will be speaking to the sponsor of that Bill. Our words are not empty when it comes to support for Palestine. If one asks the Palestinian President, the Palestinian Authority, UNRWA or the United Nations, one will learn that this is a Government that is acting in terms of trying to support the people of Palestine.

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