Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2006
1 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he has had contact with the family of the late Mr. Pat Finucane following the recent release of the man jailed for his killing under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20719/06]
View answer2 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent contacts with the family of the late Pat Finucane; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21678/06]
View answer3 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his latest contacts with the family of Pat Finucane; when he last requested a full public inquiry from the British Prime Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22689/06]
View answer4 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he has had recent contact with the family of murdered solicitor, Mr. Pat Finucane. [23312/06]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together.
I met the Finucane family on many occasions. Most recently, I met Geraldine Finucane and other family members during my visit to the United States in March. I had a more detailed meeting with the family on 27 February in Dublin, prior to the debate in March in this House.
I am aware that Ken Barrett, who had been jailed in 2004 for the murder of Pat Finucane, has been freed under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. This has obviously been a very difficult development but it is clearly not the end of this issue for the Finucane family, which remains focused on securing a full public inquiry. The family continues to have our full support in this. We have made it clear that we want to see adherence to the standard agreed at Weston Park and set by Judge Cory. We continue to share the concerns of the Finucane family and Judge Cory that the new Inquiries Act, under which the British Government intends to have the Finucane case investigated, will not meet these standards. We continue to raise these issues with the British Government.
The Irish Government continues to monitor developments in this matter and remains in frequent contact with the family. I have on all occasions assured the Finucane family of my support for its efforts to achieve the full truth in this case.
I would like to ask the Taoiseach about his meetings with the Finucane family, the British Government and the US authorities. The US Congress recently passed a resolution which gives additional weight to the calls for a credible independent inquiry and the rejection of the British assertion that the Inquiries Act would suffice in this regard. What support has the Taoiseach sought from the US on this matter? He stated that he met the Finucane family in March. Was the family informed about the release of Ken Barrett prior to the event?
On 24 May, The Guardian reported that the British Government planned to proceed with the inquiry in London in October. What discussions has the Taoiseach held with the British Government on that matter? Does he know whether members of the US Congress have discussed the matter with the British Government? Did he ever discuss with the British authorities the force research unit, an issue that seems to arise repeatedly in the context of the circumstances surrounding the murder of Pat Finucane? Michael Finucane, Pat Finucane’s son, is on the record as stating that the system worked exactly as intended and, in the British Government’s eyes, it worked perfectly. That is a damning indictment of the system and certainly points to the need for a credible independent inquiry. In light of the discussions the Taoiseach held with the American authorities, the British authorities and the Finucane family, can he answer any of these questions?
As I said in my reply, I meet regularly with the Finucane family, and Geraldine Finucane and other family members contact the small group of officials who work with me on Northern Ireland issues a few times each month.
We continue to show our support through a number of steps. The family is continuing its efforts here and in the UK, Europe and the United States to find the full truth in the case and to internationalise it as much as they possibly can. It is clear the Finucane family has considerable support in the United States and that the concerns of this House, which were articulated in the debate held on 8 March, are widely shared in Washington. The US House of Representatives passed a resolution calling on the British Government to establish immediately a fully independent public judicial inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane and we played our role in that. The Finucane family is pressing for a Senate resolution mirroring the recent congressional motion which was passed and has written to every Senator to lobby for support. We support the family and wish it well on that initiative. Tentative proposals have also been brought before the European Parliament in a motion. Various Irish and international groups have always taken an interest in this matter. We are briefing them and they are being briefed by the family. The campaign is ongoing. At this point we are continuing to help the family by exerting the maximum political pressure on the British Government. I have no sense that the British are willing to meet the family's needs. Until I see otherwise, I will not state that there is an indication of this happening. There is a view that, in the absence of securing agreement with the family about the inquiry, there is little point in holding an inquiry bearing in mind the expense involved. It would be a tragedy if the truth did not emerge and I have continually said that to the British Government. Therefore, I hope a way can be found to meet the family's needs. That is the agenda we have followed. At this stage it is a lobbying exercise to force them to address the issues.
Regarding Deputy Sargent's point about various reports, the Government has always been concerned by persistent reports of collusion between security forces and paramilitaries in the North. We have raised these issues with the British Government, continue to do so and will do so when the Minister for Foreign Affairs meets Secretary of State Hain on 26 June. We have raised the issues at every point and have tried to address these concerns at Weston Park by identifying the cases for investigation. This is our point and that of all those who support the Finucane family. High-profile cases were chosen and investigated by Judge Cory. We asked that they be the subject of public inquiry if necessary. In the cases of Rosemary Nelson, Robert Hamill and Billy Wright the inquiries are under way. In this jurisdiction Judge Smithwick is conducting the inquiry into the case Judge Cory recommended Ireland should address, the murder of RUC officers Harry Breen and Bob Buchanan. There is no progress on Judge Cory's recommendation of a full inquiry into the case of Pat Finucane. That failure is a matter of concern to the Government, the parties in this House and the wider community. We will continue to address these issues with the British Government.
Mr. Ken Barrett was sentenced to at least 22 years for the murder of Mr. Pat Finucane after he admitted and pleaded guilty to the murder of the Belfast solicitor who was shot dead in the presence of his family. The House accepted a motion from the Opposition that there be a full public independent judicial inquiry into the murder. The politics of Great Britain are a matter for politicians there. Does the Taoiseach believe there is anything else this House of Parliament can do? The truth in this case must come out. This man was murdered and there was collusion between the British security forces and the loyalist death squad that carried out the assassination. It is a pain to the members of the Finucane family who have battled for justice for their husband and father. I am not sure what more we can do besides voicing our opinion.
The House has taken a unified approach to this, the Taoiseach regularly meets Prime Minister Blair and the answer lies in amending the UK Inquiries Act 2005 to allow for a full public independent judicial inquiry into the murder of Mr. Pat Finucane. I expect the Taoiseach will raise the matter with Prime Minister Blair as often as necessary. Must the Irish Government embarrass the British Government into action? The truth should be fundamental to politics and I expect the Taoiseach to raise the matter in as vigorous a manner as he can on behalf of the Irish people. This may eventually yield a positive result.
Needless to say, I appreciate that support throughout. The situation is unsatisfactory. I will not put any gloss on it. We are at a stalemate on the issue. I feel bad about it for a number of reasons, mainly for the Finucane family. What I probably feel most upset about is we followed an honourable path and went into a fair process of picking a number of cases, of getting an eminent judge, and convincing everybody to follow that process, which was not easy at the time.
It took a long time to get an eminent world-known judge, and I have never heard anybody dispute the fact that Judge Cory was so. When he was on the Canadian court, he was well known internationally. He made a clear report of what the process was, not only then but a number of times since.
The British Government will not honour the agreement. It has offered a different type of inquiry. Not to put a tooth in it because I have spent so many hours talking to different people about the discussion, the reason is it will not subject the military authorities to an open forum on this. That is the issue. It is not really about anything else. That is the difficulty.
What exactly was the response of the British Prime Minister when the Taoiseach put it to him that this House had adopted a motion, as had the US House of Representatives, calling for a proper inquiry to be held into this issue of collusion? If the British insist on holding an inquiry under the Inquiries Act, which would be unacceptable, would the Taoiseach consider calling a summit specifically on this issue of collusion with the British Prime Minister to deal with it once and for all? Would he accept that perhaps that would be the only way of dealing with it at this stage?
More evidence has emerged of British agents having been involved in the Loughinisland slaughter in 1994, when the UVF killed——
We cannot depart from the questions before us.
It is a related matter. The UVF slaughtered six people in Loughinisland. It has now emerged that a British agent——
We cannot go into other matters.
——was involved in that, that the RUC destroyed the car——
The four questions refer specifically to the murder of Pat Finucane.
——the British agent provided the car for that slaughter in the first instance and this issue of collusion needs to be dealt with.
I do not have anything further to say. We have raised the issue of collusion with the British, especially in respect of a number of incidences and at every opportunity in respect of the Finucane case, of which we are speaking. We will do so again next week when the Minister for Foreign Affairs meets Peter Hain. We will use the opportunity to raise these issues again.
What did Blair say?
The point of having a separate summit does not really arise because we raise the issue at every summit.
In so far as the question of what the British Prime Minister says is concerned, the British at every level — from the Prime Minister down — have the same answer, that their Inquiries Act is adequate to deal with this situation. We do not accept that position.
I already replied on the core point in this. I do not know, and cannot tell the House, whether the British will proceed with this in the autumn. Both we and the Finucane family have told them it will not have our support. The international and national groups which support the family have made their point. It would be a costly——
The Taoiseach can tell them about our motion and that of the US House of Representatives.
As I stated in reply to Deputy Kenny, I have made them aware of all the motions. They are well aware of all the motions.
We must see if pressure will increase. Last year I got the American President to raise this issue directly with Prime Minister Blair. We must continue to press this issue but while I understand what the British are at in this case, I do not for a second accept it. I understand their tactic, which is difficult to move against, for the reason I have stated.
On the question of collusion between elements of the security forces and loyalist paramilitaries, does the Taoiseach know when the Nuala O'Loan report on the shooting of Raymond McCord and related matters is likely to be put in the public domain? Arising from the Taoiseach's reply about Weston Park, it was also agreed at that meeting that the Smithwick committee would begin hearings into allegations of collusion involving the Garda in the murder of two RUC men. When are those hearings likely to commence?
On the first question, the latest date is the end of the month. We have been given a few dates and they have changed, but it is still expected very shortly. I cannot be certain about that. It is long finished and it is being examined by a number of groups.
With regard to Judge Smithwick, all the preliminary work is under way on the basis of the paperwork I have seen and the questions that have arisen. I do not know when the hearings will start but the process has been under way for some time.
I refer to the report of an inquiry taking place in October. Are the British planning to proceed with some class of an inquiry under the Inquiries Act?
Michael Finucane stated clearly regarding the force research unit of the British Army that the system worked exactly as intended and, in the British Government's eyes, it worked perfectly. Does the Taoiseach's information allow him to make such a clear, black and white statement?
It does not. If it did, a public inquiry would not be needed. However, I have always felt there was collusion at a high level. I would like a public inquiry into this because of who Pat Finucane was, the work he was doing and the way he was gunned down based on whatever level of collusion. It is not a black and white situation but there was collusion in the case.
On the first issue, it has been reported that the British Government has organised a judge, an office and is ready to proceed in the autumn. I have seen nothing in the past number of months to indicate that is the case. I might have more news on that next week but I have no information now. The British Government hoped it would convince us all that its inquiry was satisfactory but it has not convinced us and organisations such as British-Irish Rights Watch of that. I do not know whether the British Government will proceed without any support and without making the necessary amendments.
