I am glad of the opportunity to raise the case of Mr. Roger Collins who is currently incarcerated in a jail in Georgia in the United States. He has been awaiting execution on death row for the past 26 years. This case was brought to my attention as chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs's sub-committee on human rights. Some months ago the sub-committee heard a presentation from a group opposed to the death penalty, whose chairperson is based in Portlaoise. The group is particularly concerned about the case of Mr. Roger Collins. As a 17 year old, Mr. Collins was involved in an incident which resulted in a young lady being murdered in Georgia. Three persons were involved in the incident, but Mr. Collins was not directly involved in the murder. The other two involved in the incident have been sentenced but did not receive the death penalty. The case has been strongly made that Mr. Collins, who was classified at the time as being mentally retarded, was not adequately represented at the original trial. Apparently his legal representative was paid the sum total of $500 for representing him. The other two defendants, who appeared to have significantly more resources available to them, were apparently better defended and their sentences, while severe, as they should have been, did not result in the death sentence being applied.
The argument being put forward not just by Mr. Collins, but by those who believe we should intervene to save his life, is that he does not claim innocence and he appreciates fully that he was involved in a dreadful crime. The question we must ask is whether 26 years on death row, with an execution sentence still hanging over him, is justice or vengeance. I appeal to the Minister of State, Deputy Ahern, and his colleague at the Department of Foreign Affairs, to make urgent representations to the appropriate authorities asking that clemency be exercised.
It was the unanimous view of the Oireachtas sub-committee on human rights that we should make this case to the governor of Georgia, which we did by way of formal letter. To date, we have not received any substantive response and I ask the Minister of State to use his good offices with what he considers to be the most appropriate and the highest possible authority in the United States to take up this case.
In this House, throughout the country and the European Union the issue of the death penalty is one on which we have a singular view. We oppose the use of the death penalty. Unfortunately, we could take up hundreds of cases currently awaiting conclusion in the United States, but the case of Mr. Roger Collins, who was little more than a minor when the crime was committed and when he was convicted, a person who clearly suffered profound mental difficulties and who had a very troubled life as a young child and who appears not to have got proper legal representation during the crucial trial period, must be examined in an urgent fashion. I appeal to the Minister of State to take up the case and request that clemency be granted.