Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank all of the Deputies for raising their various issues. On the work of the shared island unit, Deputy McGreehan mentioned Greenore Port. The first port of call - excuse the pun - should be to the Department of Transport. The shared island unit is not there to replace existing funding streams or strategies but to develop connectivity at structural levels, community levels, between local authorities and so on. I will talk to the Deputy later about the specific issues there. Ports policy is covered by the Department of Transport. The ports must be subject to ongoing development.

Deputy Ó Murchú referred to the murder of Sean Brown and the need for an inquiry. We have pushed for such an inquiry and articulated that need. I have to be balanced here. Deputies Ó Murchú, Brendan Smith, Tóibín and McDonald also raised these issues. Deputy Smith raised the issue of the legacy Act in its entirety and the need for the fullest of information regarding Belturbet and Dublin and Monaghan.

All of that is encapsulated by the legacy Act itself. The first thing that needs to be said in the context of resetting relationships is that this British Government has moved very significantly on the legacy Act compared to the previous British Government. The level of engagement now between the Irish Government and the British Government is significantly upscaled and of a different order compared to the level of engagement by the previous Government. I just want to make those points.

In respect of the case, it is still with the European court, although the key areas that we had pursued, or on which we rested the case, with regard to immunity has now been dealt with. The banning of civil cases has now been dealt with as well. There is a lot of engagement going on between officials on both sides in respect of a new potential dispensation on this, and whether we can we get agreement on a common approach to legacy, which I think would be very desirable.

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