Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1204.To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will ensure that adequate financial resources continue to be provided for the work of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains, in view of the great importance of their work; and if she will make a statement on the matter.[35994/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Good Friday Agreement specifically provided that it was essential to acknowledge and address the suffering of the victims of violence as a necessary element of reconciliation. The establishment by both the UK and Irish Governments of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR) was one among a key set of actions taken by the Governments in fulfilling this commitment.

The ICLVR was established under the Agreement signed on 27 April 1999 by the Governments of Ireland and the UK, and by legislation enacted in the two jurisdictions. As the Deputy will be aware, the Commission is responsible for facilitating the location of the remains of victims of paramilitary violence (known as 'the Disappeared') who were murdered and secretly buried.

The Commission’s role is purely humanitarian. Their overriding priority is to return the remains of the victims to their families in order that they can receive a decent burial and that the families may, in some measure at least, achieve resolution or closure in regard to the deaths. These families have for decades struggled with the pain and trauma of not knowing what happened to their loved one.

The ICLVR is a concrete demonstration of the commitment of the two Governments to the families of the disappeared. The Commission has a total of 17 persons on its list and, to date, they have recovered the remains of 11 of the Disappeared. Two other victims’ remains were recovered, though not by the Commission. Four remain to be found: Joseph Lynskey, Columba McVeigh, Robert Nairac and Seamus Maguire.

The Commission, with the support of the Irish and British Governments, continues to work tirelessly on behalf of the families of the Disappeared and is committed to completing its task and locating the remains of these four people. At present a search by the Commission is underway for the remains of Captain Robert Nairac.

I can assure the Deputy of my Department’s full support for the work of the Commission. The work of the Commission is demand led and when extra resources have been needed, those resources have been provided.

The ICLVR continues to call on those with information to bring that information to the Commission. I call on anyone with information that could help recover the remains of those still missing to please pass that information onto the Commission where it will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.