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Northern Ireland

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 November 2020

Thursday, 26 November 2020

Questions (38)

Patrick Costello

Question:

38. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he will take to ensure the inquiry into the death of a person (details supplied) takes place in view of a debate in the UK Parliament on same. [38307/20]

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Written answers

The Government's firm view remains that a satisfactory outcome to the Finucane case can only be achieved through a public inquiry, as was provided for under the Weston Park Agreement reached by the UK and Irish Governments in 2001. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has committed to take a decision on whether to order a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane by the end of November.

I met with the Finucane family earlier this month to reiterate our support. Following this meeting, I wrote to the Secretary of State ahead of his decision, to underline the Irish Government’s strong position that a public inquiry is the correct and only satisfactory way forward.

The Taoiseach also met with the Finucane family earlier this week and the Government will continue to engage with the UK Government on this issue at this critical juncture.

It is important to note that the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers in September expressed their deep concern that a decision has still not been made by the UK authorities on how to respond to the 2019 UK Supreme Court judgment with respect to the case of Pat Finucane. The next meeting of the Committee is to take place in December, and the UK Government’s decision is awaited.

The Finucane family, like so many other families, have waited for far too long, and have had to campaign determinedly for decades in their pursuit of truth and justice. This underlines the clear need for the implementation of the framework agreed in Stormont House in 2014 to address the legacy of the past comprehensively and fairly, and in a way that responds to the needs of all victims and survivors, and indeed society as a whole.

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