Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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492. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding dealing with the legacy of the past element of the agreement on the North; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41157/15]

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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501. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views that the outstanding issues for the Justice for the Forgotten Group can be finally addressed in view of the constant excuse being given of national security; and his further views that there should be an independent panel to decide if there is a matter of national security. [45459/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 492 and 501 together.

The Government very much regrets that the Fresh Start Agreement did not, in the end, include agreement on the implementation of provisions of the Stormont House Agreement dealing with the legacy of the past. We share the deep disappointment of the victims and survivors of the Troubles and their families.

It was not the Irish Government who pressed for an agreement that completely left aside the legacy of the past. However, when it became clear that the choice was between having an agreement which uncoupled the past and having no agreement at all, the Government most reluctantly agreed to have a less comprehensive deal that would at least ensure that the devolved institutions would be protected and placed on a stable and sustainable footing.

I remain convinced that the provisions of the Stormont House Agreement for dealing with the legacy of the past offer the best possible way of bringing whatever healing is possible to those affected by the Troubles, including those affected by collusion. When discussing the past in Northern Ireland and its legacy of loss and hurt, iconic tragedies such as Dublin-Monaghan remain central to our work. I believe these new institutions can help to deliver truth and justice to families who have waited too long. It is therefore vitally important that the new institutions have the trust and confidence of the victims and survivors and their families. Their needs will therefore remain central to the Government’s work in this area.

What is important now is that we find a way forward that banks the good progress already achieved during the talks on legacy issues and secures a solution to outstanding matters, including the key issue of striking the right balance between the onward disclosure needs of families and the national security requirements being sought by the British Government.

To this end, I met with Northern Ireland’s Victims’ Commissioner on 26 November to discuss the concerns of victims and possible ways to take the issue forward in a manner that satisfies these concerns. I also met the Northern Minister for Justice, David Ford, on 11 December to discuss possible next steps and I will be meeting the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers, later this month to explore potential options aimed at resolving the outstanding issues on dealing with the past.

In my discussions with her, I will again raise the All-Party Dáil motions of 2008 and 2011 urging the British Government to allow access by an independent international judicial figure to all original documents in their possession relating to the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. When we last discussed this issue on 8 October, the Secretary of State assured me that she would consider afresh how the British Government could respond to the Dáil motions. I am disappointed that the British Government has not yet positively responded to the requests made in the All-Party Dáil motions and I will ask the Secretary of State again to provide a positive response to the Dáil motions.