Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I support the call made by Senators Black and Bacik on Traveller ethnicity. The debate on this issue is critical and badly needed for all the reasons the Senators outlined. It is an issue to which I will return in the coming period when, I hope, the Minister appears in the House to have this debate for the reasons eloquently outlined.

It is important, given the week that was in it, that a number of Senators reflected on remembrance and it is right that we remember. We are in a climate of great maturity about how we approach this issue, North and South and between Britain and Ireland. I am proud that republican leaders have played a key role in reconciliation and engagement with those on this island who come from a British and Unionist tradition and have such a stake in the issue of remembrance, particularly around the First World War. The Seanad should examine how we can contribute positively to this theme.

Notwithstanding this, I urge caution because remembrance is a complex issue which gives rise to much hurt. If it was solely concerned with the tragic and unnecessary slaughter of the First World War, it would be a straightforward matter. As I stated, however, the issue is much more complex than that. The legacy of the British army and British presence is still felt acutely and with great rawness. While we can and should discuss this theme, the debate must be broader and include the legacy of conflict that persists to this day. For example, the issues of justice and truth recovery are being hindered by a British Government which seeks to use national security to veto progress on matters such as the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in which the British army and its intelligence services were up to their necks. Let us have a debate and let us remember and reflect responsibly on the loss to this island. There is a serious sense of self-loathing in evidence when calls are made to the Minister to erect memorials to British soldiers while, at the same time, Moore Street lies in rack and ruin. We need to take a universal and inclusive approach to this issue, one which reflects all traditions and experiences.