Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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42. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had any recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland or with Members of the Northern Ireland Executive on the proposed bill of rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51235/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Good Friday Agreement recognizes the need to define rights, supplementary to those in the European Convention on Human Rights, to reflect the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland. A Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland would ensure that these rights are given a legislative base. I have made my views on this clear to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and will continue to raise the question of a Bill of Rights in my discussions with her and with the First Minister and deputy First Minister. We all have important roles to play if we are to build a permanent and lasting peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. The Irish Government recognizes this and remains committed to this process, and to the full implementation of all Agreements which set out the principles and framework for peace and reconciliation.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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43. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has conveyed to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and to Members of the Northern Ireland Executive his concerns on the recent comments of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland on historical crimes; if he will state clearly that such an amnesty would not be acceptable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51236/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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It is clear that the Legacy of the Past needs to be dealt with to allow Northern Ireland to move on to a truly peaceful and reconciled society.Efforts to address the legacy should be motivated, above all, by a commitment to making progress towards reconciliation and a cohesive society. The ongoing Panel of Parties Talks have stimulated a welcome discussion on these issues with the engagement of a wide-range of stakeholders. The Government’s position is that it is essential to acknowledge and to take account of the very real needs of victims in any process dealing with the legacy of the past. It is clear also that dealing with the legacy of the past will require a broad and considered range of measures and that an amnesty for all historical crimes does not answer that need.

The Government is in regular contact with all the parties in the Northern Ireland Executive and with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. We continue to urge all participants in the Panel of Parties Talks to grasp the opportunity offered by the current process to address the legacy of the past as well as disputes regarding flags and parades. The Government remains fully committed, as co-guarantor of the Agreements, to supporting further progress towards reconciliation, both in the context of the current talks process and in the longer term.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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44. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will ensure that in any discussions with the Haass talks that the interests of victims and survivors are dealt with comprehensively; his views on whether such talks must be victim centred and that the search for justice for victims and their families will not be abandoned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51265/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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We are regularly reminded of the devastation that the conflict wrought on families and communities. Most recently, allegations of collusion and the murders described in Anne Cadwallader’s book Lethal Allies, the BBC and RTÉ documentary on ‘The Disappeared’, allegations of shoot-to-kill by the undercover Military Reaction Force and the anniversaries of the Shankill and Greysteel bombs have reverberated through society, North and South. The Government believes that addressing the legacy of the past is central to allowing Northern Ireland to make progress towards reconciliation and a cohesive society.

Richard Haass and Meghan O’Sullivan have undertaken extensive consultations with a wide range of stakeholders and representative groups in Northern Ireland, including many who speak on behalf of victims and survivors. I have also held discussions with Dr Haass, in New York in September and in Dublin in October, and I know that he is well briefed on the legacy of the past including the broad range of views of victims and survivors. The Government will continue its engagement with Dr Haass and his team as their work intensifies over the coming period. The Government urges all participants in the talks to seize the opportunity presented by the Panel of Parties process to address issues such as the legacy, including the concerns of victims and survivors. We remain fully committed to supporting the process in any way we can and to finding a way forward on all the issues within the remit of the Panel of Parties talks.