Ba mhaith liom buíochas a glacadh leat as ucht na ceiste a tógadh anocht. Chuir sé an-díoma orm nár éirigh liom an cheist a thógáil inné.
I thank the Tánaiste for coming into the House. I am sure he is familiar with the details I am about to outline. Harry Duggan has already served 21 years in various prisons in the United Kingdom; he is currently in Whitemoor Prison. Mr. Duggan's mother died this week and he applied for compassionate parole to attend her funeral. Since I began working with the prisoners in Britain I always believed it would be impossible to overstate the part they played in bringing about the ceasefire of 1994. I believe also that the lack of a humanitarian gesture and the refusal by the British authorities to make any movement on the prisoner issue, allied to the earlier release of Lee Clegg, had a seriously undermining effect on the prisoners' morale and on their efforts in favour of peace.
At this juncture, when confidence building measures are so badly needed and when there is a lack of faith in the political process, particularly among prisoners, it is important that the British authorities make a humanitarian gesture. I ask the Tánaiste, therefore, to make firm representations that Harry Duggan be granted compassionate parole, even at this late stage, to return to Ireland for three days to be with his family at this time of bereavement. Twenty years is a long time to serve in prison, irrespective of the crime. It is fair to point out also that Harry Duggan's co-defendant, Joe Connell, was the person who wrote to An Phoblacht recently urging the republican movement to pursue its aims by political means and to reinstate the ceasefire.
I ask the Tánaiste also to press the British Government on the case of Patrick Kelly. This case has been well documented in the public domain and I do not have to go over the details of it. Suffice to say that last October a medical expert from Canada diagnosed that Mr. Kelly's cancer had spread and since then his medical condition has continued to deteriorate. The Tánaiste is aware of the updated medical position that has been confirmed by the specialist now treating Patrick Kelly.
It is reasonable to hope at this stage that the Home Secretary might be persuaded to expedite the transfer of Paddy Kelly to the Republic. The legislation and the convention to do this are in place and I understand the necessary documents have been sent by the Department of Justice to the British authorities. The American authorities were persuaded to adopt a particular approach one month ago and I now hope the British authorities can be persuaded by the Tánaiste to agree to Patrick Kelly's immediate transfer. I know the Tánaiste has made previous representations in this case and I hope he will convey to his British counterparts the great disappointment experienced by myself and others who visited these prisoners and argued that politics does work. What we, as politicians and parliamentarians, have been urging appears to have been totally ignored. I hope that for the first time we will see confidence building measures and humanitarian gestures being taken with these prisoners. I have no doubt that if they were taken, they would be a major step in rebuilding an IRA ceasefire and letting politics solve this problem.