Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit and perhaps soon to be Minister for Defence, Deputy Pat Carey. I thank Senator Harris for and compliment him on his eloquent address to the House. One cannot but be struck by the story he painted of a man who is a person of integrity who at worst would perhaps be seen to be guilty by association. The motion and the amendment before us are important because it is not just a question of Mr. de Róiste's case, it is about what we can achieve in the future.

I have listened to the story as outlined by Senators Harris and O'Toole and I have read Mr. Mullen's book, Speaking Truth to Power. Therein lies a good example of the need to look at power, to be truthful and to measure power and utilise it properly. In preparing for the debate I was struck by the response to parliamentary questions tabled by Senator Boyle when he was a Deputy, by Deputy Finian McGrath and by Deputy Bernard Allen from Cork. Reference is made in the reply to being retired from service in the Army. I am sure that is not done lightly but the procedures and processes are different now. As Senator Kieran Phelan rightly said, we now have PDFORRA and RACO which are involved in helping Army personnel to defend themselves.

I am younger than many Members present and I was not involved in public life at the time of the decision on Mr. de Róiste. I grew up in a different Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s when there was a need to protect the State and to deal with subversives who were engaged in a war against their fellow citizens. I have listened to the stories and read the articles about Mr. de Róiste. In particular I was struck in the same way as Senator Kieran Phelan by the letter from Mr. de Róiste's mother. He was a man who, as has been said, was guilty by association. That is unfair. If we learn nothing else from this case it is that we must be slow, balanced and measured in our pursuit of justice. I agree with Senator Harris. If one takes the Birmingham Six as the classic example, the comments of Fr. Paddy Hannon and the book by the former Labour MP whose name escapes me-----