Ba mhaith liom fíor chaoin fáilte a chur roimh ionadaithe teallaigh Domhnach na Fola ó Tuaisceart na tíre. Le linn 40 bliain, tá na daoine cróga uasal seo ag obair go crua ag iarraidh réitigh a fháil ar an fhadhb mhór a bhaineann leis na teallaigh go léir. Táimid go léir sásta go bhfuil siad anseo linn inniu.
I warmly welcome everybody here today, particularly our colleagues from the Northern Ireland Assembly, namely, Mr. Mark Durkan, MP, Mr. Pat Doherty, MP, and Dr. Alasdair McDonnell, MP. The main item on the agenda today is the Saville inquiry report. The Saville inquiry, also known as the Bloody Sunday Inquiry was set up in 1998 by the then British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, following intensive campaigns for a second inquiry by the families of those killed and injured by British troops in Derry on 30 June 1972. The final report of the inquiry was published on 15 June this year.
I am very pleased to warmly welcome the members of those families who have campaigned so bravely and with so much dignity for more than 38 years, almost four decades, in their quest for the truth. I welcome in particular Mr. Mickey McKinney, whose 27 year old brother, Willie, was shot dead in Glenfada Park, Derry, on Bloody Sunday. I should also like to welcome Mr. Gerry Duddy, whose brother Jackie, was shot dead on Bloody Sunday in the courtyard of Rossville Flats. Jackie was the first person to be shot dead on Bloody Sunday. I also welcome Mr. John Kelly, whose 17 year old brother, Michael, was shot dead at the rubble barricade in Rossville Street. I welcome, too, Mr. Tony Doherty, whose father, Patrick, then aged just 31, was shot dead in front of Rossville Flats as he tried to crawl to safety.
Members of the committee will recall that we met here on 24 March this year with Mr. McKinney and Mr. Duddy. I am delighted that we have the opportunity to meet with them again today, along with Mr. Kelly and Mr. Doherty. When we last met, the families had serious concerns regarding the then delays in the publication of the report and arrangements for access to the report for the families and their lawyers on the day of the publication. Matters have moved on significantly since then.
On 15 June last, 38 years after the events of Bloody Sunday, those who were injured or killed and their families were finally vindicated with the acknowledgement that the deaths and injuries were unjustified and unjustifiable. There is no longer any doubt that the Widgery report had not told the true story, or indeed anything close to it. Members of the committee will be interested to hear the views of the families on the report, now that they have had some time to digest it more fully. They will also hear the families' view on British Prime Minister David Cameron's statement and on other reactions since then.
Before we commence I remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official by name or in such a manner as to make him or her identifiable. By virtue of section 17(2)(i) of the Defamation Act 2009 witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to this committee. If you are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter and you continue to so do, you are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of your evidence. You are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and you are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, you should not criticise or make charges against any person or persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.
It is a great pleasure to call on our guests to address this committee and we shall start with Mr. Mickey McKinney.