Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 243 together.

I met with Sean Brown's family just over two weeks ago on what was the 28th anniversary of his murder. I was struck by Bridie Brown and her family and the anguish, pain and hurt they have been put through. The family have shown enormous strength and resilience in pursuing this case. I commended them on their tireless campaign for truth, transparency and accountability over the past 28 years. I reiterated to them that I will continue to use any influence I have, now and at every point, and that of the Irish Government to bring about a resolution that is acceptable to them. They want a public inquiry, they deserve a public inquiry and they need a public inquiry.

The various investigations conducted since the murder have failed to provide the answers needed by the Brown family and they have waited too long for the truth. I raised the case of Sean Brown with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in our first call after I took office in January as well as in a number of subsequent calls, most recently at the end of last week. I also discussed the issues with Secretary of State Benn at the meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference at Hillsborough Castle last month.

As I said when I was in Belfast last week to meet with the party leaders, it has been the long-established position of the Irish Government that the Brown family must have access to a mechanism that is compliant with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This is something that has never been provided to them. This is not just my view. It is also the view of the courts. The courts in Northern Ireland have made clear their view that the Independent Commission on Reconciliation and Information Recovery as established by the UK Legacy Act cannot offer that remedy and that a public inquiry is currently the only mechanism available that can do so.

This case is exceptional in a number of respects. I know there is a lot of hurt and a lot of victims and unanswered questions in terms of truth, justice and accountability in Northern Ireland, but this case has exceptional characteristics. These include the rulings of the Northern Ireland High Court and Court of Appeal which identify a public inquiry as the only remedy; the material released by the Coroner's Court linking agents of the UK state to the murder; and the repeated frustration of a thorough investigation of the case by state agencies. These are important elements. My Department participated in the supervision of a review of the case following the report of the Police Ombudsman, which did not receive the information subsequently found by the coroner. Information was withheld from the various investigations to date. I will continue to raise this case with the Secretary of State in my discussions with him and to keep in close contact with the Brown family, their representatives and political representatives in this House and Northern Ireland, for whom I know this is an issue of the utmost importance, as it is for me.

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