Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the confirmation in the past hour from the Northern Ireland Executive that the Government of Mauritius has agreed to re-examine the murder of Tyronewoman Michaela McAreavey. I welcome the intervention in this matter by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in the North. I must mention, in particular, that it is the last act of Ms Arlene Foster as First Minister before she resigned. It is hard to believe that ten years have passed since Michaela was murdered on her honeymoon in Mauritius in 2011. That nobody has been brought to justice only adds to the grief of her husband, John. Yesterday, Michaela's father, the GAA legend Mickey Harte, stated that the authorities in Mauritius want the unsolved murder to go away but that neither he nor John, nor their families, would let that happen. Michaela was murdered in the jurisdiction of Mauritius. It is incumbent on Mauritius to investigate the matter fully, which it has not done. Any help that the Government can give in this respect and any help that the Minister for Foreign Affairs can give the families, as citizens of Ireland, would be appreciated. What has occurred today is a good step in the right direction. I welcome the fact that the matter is going to be re-examined.