Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 May 2010
8 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach the further action he will take on foot of the Barron, McEntee and Oireachtas Justice Committee reports on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings and other fatal acts of collusion in this jurisdiction, as well as the Oireachtas resolution in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16305/10]
View answer9 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach his contacts with the Northern Ireland Executive since the devolution of policing and justice powers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16565/10]
View answer10 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach the position regarding the implementation of the recommendations of the Barron and McEntee reports into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17727/10]
View answer11 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his engagement with the First and Deputy First Minister and the British Prime Minister since the transfer of policing and justice powers was agreed by the Assembly and the Justice Minister elected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18795/10]
View answer12 Deputy Eamon Gilmore asked the Taoiseach the actions he has taken or plans to take arising from the publication of the Barron, McEntee and Oireachtas Justice Committee reports on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18905/10]
View answer13 Deputy Eamon Gilmore asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on his contacts with the political parties in Northern Ireland since the devolution of policing powers [18906/10]
View answer14 Deputy Eamon Gilmore asked the Taoiseach when he plans to next meet the British Prime Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18907/10]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 14, inclusive, together.
I spoke to Prime Minister Cameron by telephone on Wednesday, 11 May and offered him my congratulations. We discussed the importance of maintaining the close relationship between both Governments, in respect of Northern Ireland and other matters of mutual interest, including economic ties and European Union matters. I will meet the Prime Minister in the near future. I also contacted the leaders of the Northern Ireland political parties following the results of the elections.
I offered my congratulations to the Northern Ireland Executive on the successful devolution of policing and justice on 12 April and I wished the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice, David Ford, every success in his new role. I also wish Alex Attwood every success in his new role as Minister for Social Development and to congratulate John Larkin on his appointment as Attorney General.
The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern, met Minister Ford on 16 April, when they discussed co-operation between the Garda Síochána and the PSNI and ongoing criminal justice co-operation matters. I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the Garda on its recent success in foiling dissident efforts to launch bomb attacks in the North.
I expect to next meet the First and Deputy First Minister and other Ministers from the Executive at the next meeting of the British-Irish Council on 25 June and at the North-South Ministerial Council plenary meeting on 5 July next. I also will meet delegations from the SDLP and Sinn Féin shortly. I am committed to working with the Northern parties to identify areas in which efficiencies can be introduced and savings made to our mutual benefit.
With regard to the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, the Deputy will be aware that the Clerk of the Dáil received a reply from the Clerk of the House of Commons arising from the Oireachtas resolution of 10 July 2008. As I have stated previously in the House, any future follow-up to this matter should be considered in consultation with the parties and can be raised with the Whips.
As the Taoiseach is aware, the 36th anniversary of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings occurred last week on 17 May. In the course of the ceremonies in both Dublin and Monaghan, various spokespersons have repeated the appeal to the Government to restore funding to the Justice for the Forgotten group, the work of which is far from concluded. In this regard I include Ms Bernadette McNally, the chairperson for Justice for the Forgotten, who herself is a survivor of the atrocities that were visited on the city in May 1974. Her appeal to the Government was echoed by the Cathaoirleach of Monaghan Town Council, Councillor Seán Conlon, and the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Emer Costello.
Great concern has been expressed in the city of Dublin, in my home town of Monaghan and nationwide regarding the Government's decision to cease funding——
I remind the Deputy that a limited time remains.
—— for Justice for the Forgotten. I refer to the attitude here, where there is only one campaigning group, namely, Justice for the Forgotten, for survivors of the atrocities of the previous 30 years. However, there are groups being funded directly by the British Government north of the Border. Can the Taoiseach not find it within his gift to reverse the decision and restore funding to Justice for the Forgotten to allow this campaigning group to proceed with its work, as it is clear that closure has not been reached?
Finally, on the issue the Taoiseach referred to and what I would regard as a most unique, unprecedented and historic decision of this House in July 2008, namely, a unanimous all-party resolution calling on the British Government to make available all original material relating to those atrocities of May 1974 to an independent international inquiry, with respect, I have to put it to the Taoiseach, that he has failed since then to press that decision of this House with the former British Prime Minister over that period. He has never been able to confirm that he had raised the matter with Gordon Brown throughout the entire period of their respective positions in office.
A question please, Deputy.
That compares starkly with the greater proactivity on the part of his predecessor, and there are not many things I would have to say are to his credit but that is one. Will the Taoiseach now press that particular matter and restore funding to Justice for the Forgotten?
On the matter raised by Deputy Ó Caoláin, from 2003 to 2008 the Remembrance Commission operated the scheme of acknowledgement, remembrance and assistance for victims in this jurisdiction of the conflict in Northern Ireland. Under the scheme, payments were made to groups offering support services to victims of the conflict and under this element of the scheme, payments were made to Justice for the Forgotten for the purpose of meeting the counselling and other needs of victims or their family members.
During the period of operation of the scheme, Justice for the Forgotten received a total of €1.2 million of the €1.5 million allocated for victim support services and was the only recipient of money under this heading. In addition, the organisation had received more than €890,000 from my Department in the period 2000 to 2003.
The term of appointment of the Remembrance Commission came to an end on 31 October 2008 and funding under the scheme ended at that stage. Nevertheless, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform decided at that time to grant further funding to Justice for the Forgotten totalling €190,300 to enable it continue to operate while seeking to put alternative funding options in place.
Officials from that Department met with Justice for the Forgotten on a number of occasions and met with them again last June to apprise them of the position and to confirm that our first priority is to ensure that those victims who require ongoing medical treatment for injuries sustained in bombings and other incidents arising from the conflict in Northern Ireland will continue to be provided for.
The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has made special arrangements to have these costs provided by his Department through the Victims of Crime Office.
With respect, that is not a reply. The Taoiseach has read into the record a response that he has already provided in written replies to parliamentary questions in the same vein. He has given no indication of any willingness to even consider the need to continue funding to Justice for the Forgotten, and that is outrageous. This particular group will not be able to sustain its important and valuable work, which is ongoing.
On the other matter regarding a decision of this House in July 2008, which was an important unprecedented, momentous and historic decision that every Member of this House could sign up to, we have never been given an iota of evidence that that decision——
Deputy, you will have to find another way to pursue that matter.
——has been pursued in any serious way by the Government representatives of this House. It is an absolute disgrace.
I call Deputy Gilmore for a brief supplementary because we are out of time.
First, on the question of the Taoiseach's plans to meet the Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron, has a date been set for a meeting or when does the Taoiseach expect to have his first full meeting with the Prime Minister? Second, in the initial contacts that have been made with the new British Government, has the Taoiseach received any assurance or reassurance that Prime Minister Cameron will continue to give the kind of attention to bilateral relations between Ireland and the United Kingdom and, in particular, to matters relating to Northern Ireland that was given by his three predecessors, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major?
First, no date has been fixed for that meeting. Obviously, we intend to try to fix that meeting in the coming weeks. Second, the assurances were given that in his capacity as British Prime Minister, David Cameron will seek to utilise his role as co-guarantor of these agreements to ensure they are fully implemented, both in the spirit and in the letter of thelaw.
On the matter raised by Deputy Ó Caoláin, I made the point in my reply that the question of the further follow-up action that can take place as a result of the parliamentary motion passed in this House on a unanimous basis is a matter that should be considered by the Whips in consultation with the parties concerned.
First, is the Taoiseach being briefed on a regular basis about the increasing threat of terrorism from the Real IRA and other dissident groups? I assure the Taoiseach of our full support for the efforts the Government is making to eliminate that kind of activity.
Second, in view of the cuts announced for Northern Ireland by the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, will the Government prepare its own report on how best it can co-operate with the British Government in the development of the economic entity of the island about which the Taoiseach spoke recently and which is laudable? There are a number of other programmes that may not be cut where issues of a cross-Border nature arise that would be in the interests of the development of both economies North and South. Before the Taoiseach meets with the British Prime Minister, would he request his Department and other Departments to indicate what the Government in the Twenty-six Counties can do in terms of assisting and co-operating with the British Government in the interests of both communities North and South?
I join the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and others in the House in thanking the security services for the find they unveiled in County Louth in the past few days. It is an indication of their determination to thwart in every way possible those who would seek to undermine the express will of the Irish people, North and South, who wish to pursue political progress in this country by exclusively peaceful and democratic means. They speak for no one, represent no one and are engaged in activities which are not supported and are intrinsically evil. The security forces will continue to be provided with all necessary resources to deal with these matters to avoid the possible loss of life or limb or the destruction of property that could ensue were these people to achieve their nefarious objectives.
Regarding Deputy Kenny's questions, we pursue the question of the island of Ireland economy as being an obvious outworking of the agreements we have reached. We seek at all times to persuade people of and confirm the mutual benefit that would be derived North and South and between the two islands were these economic and social issues to be addressed in a way that best benefits taxpayers in both jurisdictions by seeking to improve and protect services, identifying synergies and a more cost effective delivery of services North and South and not be impeded in that effort by the existence of the Border. That is a matter we continue to pursue at all levels and in all respects in a transparent, open and beneficial way for everyone we serve. Our work with the Northern Ireland Executive and the review of the work programmes that have been undertaken regarding where we can go from here, having bedded down the institutions in the past ten years or more, is a matter that should be constructively considered by all sides. We hope the Executive will be able to examine constructively and creatively the various opportunities that are in place and are possible with the goodwill on all sides.
