Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It came to be one of the most appalling, defining features of the war on terror, and reminds us of the global impact of decisions like this.

Amnesty International won the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize for its work against torture, and I commend Grainne Teggart and its Northern Ireland office on its continued tireless work on this case. Huge credit must also go to the investigative team at RTÉ and the Pat Finucane Centre for their willingness to work on exposing new information and keeping the fight alive. In light of those revelations, the Government was right to launch the appeal in 2014, and it would be right to get behind the hooded men and their families now. I am glad to hear the Government will not be opposing the motion today, and I urge it to get fully behind this push. We have a duty to these men to call what happened by its rightful name.

Again, I want to send my full support and thoughts to the people involved and their families, and I commend them for their courage and bravery. I was looking at a picture this morning of the group outside the European Court of Human Rights, and I can only imagine the willpower and determination it takes for them to keep going all these years later. It is only right that the Irish State stands beside them in their search for justice.