Eoghan Harris (Independent)

Like other Independent Members, I commiserate with the people of Poland and I associate myself with the sentiments of other Senators. As Senator Twomey said, it is important the great state of Poland enjoys harmonious relationships with its neighbours to the east and west. Out of the tragedy of the terrible plane crash has come a new dawn of glasnost and openness between the former Soviet Union and Polish people. This also takes in the German people and I am glad to say we can take some satisfaction from the fact that the great Irish civil servant, Sir Owen O'Malley, told the truth about this matter during the war. He was a great Mayoman and the people of Mayo can be a proud of him.

As Senator Twomey said, it is important there is stability in that part of the world. Poland is a member of the European Union and is a good, stabilising influence on what has always been an unstable area. Having a good relationship between Poland, Germany and the wider EU augurs well. We can take great hope from the openness of the new Russian Administration to the question of what happened at Katyn. This openness is not new to us in Ireland; it was critical in Northern Ireland and it is critical we have the truth. There is more goodness in admitting past mistakes than in almost any other act. One of the greatest acts of good authority is to apologise for what happened. That apology and expression of sorrow, according to my many Polish friends, by the Russian Government and its people has done more for Polish-Russian relations than almost anything else. We should all take note that saying sorry is a very moral and good thing to do.