Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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165. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he discussed with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland the need to establish an independent review of the murder of 11 people in Ballymurphy in August 1971; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37535/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The Government has consistently raised the issue of the need to establish an independent review into the Ballymurphy cases, both at the level of the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Government issued statements expressing disappointment at the decision of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 29 April 2014 not to appoint a Hillsborough-style panel to review the Ballymurphy cases. The Government is committed to playing an active and constructive role in dealing with the past, including through raising relevant matters with counterparts in the British Government.

There is an urgent need to establish a fair, balanced and comprehensive framework for dealing with the past and the Government believes that legacy issues should be addressed in the upcoming all-Party talks.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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166. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he discussed with the Northern Ireland Secretary of State and-or with members of the Northern Ireland Executive, the need to establish the North-South consultative forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37536/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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A North South Consultative Forum was provided for in the Good Friday Agreement and the St Andrews Agreement provided further that the Northern Ireland Executive would support the establishment of an independent North/South Consultative Forum. In September 2008, the Irish Government submitted proposals for the role, format, membership and operation of a North South Consultative Forum to the Executive for its consideration, and facilitated three consultative conferences, the most recent of which was in January 2011. The Government awaits a response from the Executive.

Civil society has played an important role in the transformation of Northern Ireland. At the recent Reconciliation Networking Forum which I hosted in Dublin Castle on 15 September, and which brought together a diverse array of community groups and NGOs funded by my Department’s Reconciliation Fund, it was clear that there is considerable support for a strong and enabling North South Consultative Civic Forum.

The Taoiseach has raised the establishment of a Forum at each Plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council he has attended and it is on the agenda for the forthcoming meeting on 3 October 2014.