Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein)

I echo the remarks on Bridget Doody. We had an opportunity to thank Martin Groves for his service a number of months back. Bridget was very supportive, particularly of us new Senators, and very patient with her advice and guidance. Cuirim fáilte roimh Martin Hughes and I look forward very much to working with him in the time ahead.

Last Friday both Governments published a framework to address the legacy of conflict in the North. This was an attempt to undo some of the damage that Tory Governments had done over the previous 13 years. In 2014 all of the parties and both Governments negotiated a framework for dealing with legacy issues in the North. It was undone unilaterally by a British Government. British Governments have continued over the years to frustrate proper inquiries into Bloody Sunday and Ballymurphy and the present one is preventing the truth being uncovered in cases such as those of Pat Finucane and Sean Brown.The promise of both Governments in this regard is to return to something that people can buy into. I sincerely hope that is the case. It is imperative that the Leader ask the Tánaiste to ensure that we see the publication of the legislation to underpin this as soon as possible. If that is done, it will put meat on the bones of what has been produced by both Governments and give a very clear understanding as to whether this will do what the Labour Government in Britain has said it will do, that is, to undo the attempt of a previous British Government whose focus was entirely on its own actors in the conflict at the expense of truth and justice and closure for the very many families who were victims of it. I ask that the Tánaiste encourage the publication of the legislation as quickly as possible. I also ask that he continue to encourage that they engage with families, campaigning groups, lawyers and human rights activists who, for many years, have campaigned on these issues and who were, like all of us, pushed into despair at the approach of the previous British Government. I sincerely hope that, this time, this effort will get it right. As I say, we will be able to make a full judgment on that. For our part, Sinn Féin will study the legislation that comes forward and will work and engage with families, victims' groups and activists in that regard to understand exactly what is being proposed here.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge the thousands of people who went on the streets for the Cearta protest last Saturday for the Irish language, organised by Conradh na Gaeilge. It was genuinely a Thirty-two Counties of Ireland approach. People from all over the country protested for recognition and rights for Irish language. I urge the Minister, Deputy Dara Calleary, to work with the North's Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons, and meet Conradh na Gaeilge in order to understand the issues it continues to face and campaign for, and to support the campaign for those rights.