Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)

I congratulate Nuala O'Loan, who did tremendous work as Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman with regard to many of these controversial incidents, on her appointment as roving ambassador to Timor. She will be of great value to the people of that country. One of the key questions facing the development of the peace process is one many other countries have faced, namely, is the past too horrific to deal with and one must move on to the future or can one not move on to the future unless one deals with the past? In one sense it is a circular question but it is a vital core issue that must be addressed.

Today we are discussing collusion and the reports produced by the justice committee. I congratulate all those involved in the committee. They put serious work into the reports, came to conclusions and made strong and blunt recommendations. We must examine the recommendations and consider how they can be activated. It is grand to stand in this Chamber and talk about how terrible the bombings were in Dublin and Monaghan in 1972 and 1973. I am very aware of the murders that occurred in Burnfoot of Bríd Porter and Oliver Boyce. The family are my constituents. There was the case of Bríd Carroll who was killed on the Lifford-Strabane road in 1971, the murder of Seamus Ludlow and other atrocities that occurred in 1975 and 1976. We can talk forever about those issues, how serious they are and how a resolution must be found, but we cannot get closure.

The report states that not only did collusion occur but it was widespread. It seeks greater political impetus in highlighting the fact that it occurred and its scale and in identifying measures to bring closure to the victims. Closure is an important issue for all concerned. It also relates back to the question I mentioned earlier — was it so horrific that we cannot deal with the past and must move on or can we not move to the future unless we deal with the past? I am charged by the Council of Europe at present to compile a report on the teaching of history in areas of recent conflict. The concept is whether a multi-perspective should be given on issues in order that we can begin to remove the prejudices and bigotry of the children living in areas of recent conflict. If we are to give the children the various perspectives, we must know the history in order that we can teach it. At present, we cannot get the facts. We know there was collusion but we cannot get beyond that because we cannot get the information, in this instance from the British Government.

How can we encourage the next generation to analyse and understand not only the history of their side but of the "other side", however that is defined, if we cannot get access to that history? I am reading a great deal about this issue with regard to Bosnia, Cyprus and Armenia but I should know most about the situation in which I grew up. Part of the report we did for the Council of Europe——