I propose to take Questions Nos. 79, 87 and 91 together.
The background to the search for the remains of the missing persons in question is as follows.
At its meeting on 29 March 1999, the Government approved the issuing of a statement to the effect that, following indications from Sinn Féin that a genuine effort was being made to locate the graves of missing people, it was prepared to facilitate a process in relation to the locating of the remains through introducing legislation to the effect that evidence resulting from that process could not be used in the prosecution of offences. The British Government indicated that it would also introduce similar legislation. Very shortly afterwards the Provisional IRA issued a statement to the effect that it had succeeded in locating the remains of nine victims.
Detailed discussions took place between officials of my Department and the UK authorities with a view to putting in place a framework for the purpose of locating the remains of victims. This culminated in the signing of an agreement between the two Governments on 27 April. The Criminal Justice (Location of Victims' Remains) Act, 1999, was enacted to provide for the independent international commission, as established under the Agreement between the two Governments, to facilitate the location of the remains of victims of paramilitary violence killed prior to 10 April 1998. The legislation also provides that evidence resulting from the process of locating the remains of victims cannot be used on behalf of the prosecution in criminal cases.
Subsequent to the enactment of this legislation and equivalent legislation in the UK, the Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains was established on 28 May 1999. The Governments appointed Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, the Victims Commissioner in the North, and the former Tánaiste, Mr. John Wilson, who fulfils a similar role in relation to victims in this jurisdiction, to the Commission.
On 28 May 1999, i.e. the same day on which the Commission had been established, Mr. John Wilson, with the consent of Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, issued the following statement: