Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to acknowledge the disgusting and shocking video circulating on social media. The image of a young person crawling, having been beaten up, is just horrific. While a motive may still have to be established - although I think Senator Hoey is correct in that regard - and that is a matter for the Garda and school authorities, it is horrific that someone egged this on, filmed it and then put it up on social media. We need to have statements on that and discuss the use of social media and what more the Seanad and Legislature can do to protect young people. I know we have hate crime legislation coming through.

Yesterday marked 49 years since the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. On that day, 33 people and an unborn child - one woman was nine months pregnant - were killed and 258 people were injured. One of those injured was a very close friend of mine who suffered hearing loss as a consequence. It is now 49 years since that day. People have since died who were clamouring for truth and justice for relatives killed on that day. They still do not have it. We still do not have clarity on what occurred. I will respect the House and not release the information I have. However, information as to who was behind it and supported it is well known, yet the families have never had truth and justice. That warrants statements in the House. The Minister for Justice, Deputy Harris, issued a press release today and called for same. We need to hear about it because this is a long-running sore and source of pain to the families in question. I want to particularly remember the entire O'Brien family who were wiped out on that day. John O'Brien was 24, Anne O'Brien was 22, Jacqueline O'Brien was 16 and a half months and Anne Marie O'Brien was four and a half months. Truth and justice have never been heard for them and all the other people who were killed and injured on that day.