Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 January 2014
47. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the comments made recently on past crimes from the Attorney General in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51400/13]
View answerIt is clear that the legacy of the Past needs to be dealt with to allow Northern Ireland to move on to a truly peaceful and reconciled society. Efforts to address the legacy should be motivated, above all, by a commitment to making progress towards reconciliation and a cohesive society. The Panel of Parties Talks stimulated a welcome discussion on these issues with the engagement of a wide-range of stakeholders.
The Government’s position is that it is essential to acknowledge and to take account of the very real needs of victims in any process dealing with the legacy of the past. It is clear also that dealing with the legacy of the past will require a broad and considered range of measures and that an amnesty does not answer that need.
The Government is in regular contact with all the parties in the Northern Ireland Executive and with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. We continue to urge all Parties to grasp the opportunity offered by the draft Haass/O’Sullivan proposals to address the legacy of the past as part of a comprehensive agreement. The Government remains fully committed, as co-guarantor of the Agreements, to supporting further progress towards reconciliation, both in the context of these proposals and in the longer term.
