Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I concur with many Members' remarks on the unanimous agreement in this House. Such unanimity always makes for a much more pleasant evening for me. Given the experience of recent weeks, I thank colleagues for that.

Returning to the more serious element of tonight’s motion and the purpose of it, I begin by recognising and noting the significance and importance of the remarks made by the Taoiseach after his meeting with the Finucane family, and indeed again in the Dáil Chamber yesterday in response to my party leader, Deputy McDonald, when she asked about the inquiry. I also note the significance and importance of the Minister’s remarks tonight and what they mean for the Finucane family, and for us as citizens and people who have put our names and given our support to a motion like this tonight. We are very much at one here tonight.

Like Senator Bacik, I noted the Minister’s remarks that a public inquiry by the British Government would be significant for reconciliation and the healing that is required. While the determination and the tenacity of the Finucane family has been acknowledged and noted tonight, at the heart of this is a family who want justice, who want a wrong to be righted, who want that injustice to be healed and who want to have truth and justice that is representative of, and on behalf of, all the families who fell victim to the policy of state collusion. Colleagues have also mentioned all the other victims of the conflict, including people who were hurt by republicans, and that is why it is so important, because I agree. That is why republicans signed up to the Stormont House Agreement, and it is why all the parties in the North and the two Governments signed up to the Stormont House Agreement.I remind colleagues that much like the reneging on the commitments in the Weston Park Agreement and so many other commitments in respect of the Finucane inquiry, there is only one signatory to that agreement who is reneging from the Stormont House Agreement. I say to colleagues, to the Minister and to people who are watching out there to let us have what was agreed at the Stormont House Agreement implemented fully on behalf of everyone who suffered a loss, hurt or trauma as a result of the conflict.

It is also important to remember, in all of the reflections on Pat Finucane and his work here tonight, that he represented people from every tradition and community in the North without fear or favour because he was a servant of the court. He worked on behalf of victims and to stand up for human rights because he used the law to seek to dismantle injustice. He believed firmly in the law and that is why he pursued the career he chose. He knew that no one should be above the law and used it to defend and stand up for victims, those on the margins, the voiceless. He used the law for right and to do right and ultimately that is why Pat Finucane was targeted, set up and murdered. A very important message has gone from this House tonight which I have no doubt will be heard because it should be. This is in a chorus of messages in recent days, weeks and months going back decades, and laid in the first instance and driven by Geraldine Finucane and her family, which is that there should be a full public and independent inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane. Gabhaim buíochas.