Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 September 2013
122. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the recent Amnesty eport in relation to the victims of violence in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38807/13]
View answerI welcome the timely report by Amnesty International entitled “Northern Ireland: Time to deal with the past” and will give it my full consideration. I visited Belfast in August and it is clear from my extensive consultations there and elsewhere that the past is having a corrosive effect on political life and on community relations throughout Northern Ireland. The current All-Party talks under the chairmanship of Richard Haass present an opportunity to build positive momentum towards finding the right mechanisms to deal with the past. Amnesty International’s report is a welcome contribution by civil society to these efforts.
