Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 17 Jun 2015

Business of Joint Committee (Resumed)

On the minutes of the previous meeting, draft minutes of the meeting of 10 June 2015 have been circulated to members. Are those minutes agreed?

I have a couple of issues. One is on the request regarding Ibrahim Halawa and the proposal that the joint committee might travel and visit him in prison. Has there been an update in this regard?

Yes, that is a full item on the agenda afterwards and if the Senator does not mind, we will leave it because it will take some time.

Just to let the Senator know, there has been progress on this issue but perhaps members will discuss it afterwards because otherwise-----

The second item relates to the other correspondence from the Relatives for Justice group in which it was proposed that members would have a joint meeting with the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. Has there been a response from the aforementioned committee in this regard?

No, the joint committee has received no word from the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. However, we have forwarded the request to it and will follow up on this proposal as well.

I would endorse that proposal and an effort should be made to speed it up, given that the programme broadcast on RTE the other night highlighted to many people, who were not fully aware of the level of collusion, just how bad it was. It added additional urgency to the matter because, otherwise, it gets forgotten about.

No, we will have it and hopefully we will have a response back next week for the committee on this matter. Is that okay?

On that issue, because I agree with the Deputy, perhaps we could get a response from the Department of the Taoiseach regarding his meeting with Mr. David Cameron tomorrow and on the request for the files on the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. I refer to the implication of the British state being involved in the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, that is, in the biggest mass murder in the history of the State and for the British to refuse to hand over files pertaining to it that would clear them. Obviously, however, the fact that they do not wish to give the files would lead anyone to come to the conclusion that they have something to hide. Perhaps the Department of the Taoiseach will give a response to the joint committee because the time for soft diplomacy has gone and passed. Although United Nations bodies, European Union bodies and European Union courts have stated the United Kingdom must investigate this matter, its authorities still have not done so and continue to breach the Weston Park agreement in respect of investigating the murder of Pat Finucane. Perhaps members can get a response on that.

I have stated previously that members must be conscious of the fact that part of that work falls under the ambit of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement as well and this joint committee must liaise with it on this matter.

I am sure the Taoiseach will report to the Dáil on his meeting with Mr. David Cameron. I am sure this also will take place. Unless there anything else, we will move on. Are the minutes agreed? Agreed. Unless there are matters arising from these minutes, members will proceed with the main business of the meeting. Is that agreed? Agreed. We will ask the witnesses to take their places before the joint committee.

Barr
Roinn