Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 November 2021
28. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will raise with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland the long-standing concerns of the families of the victims of the Springhill Westrock Massacre of July 1972 in relation to the totally unacceptable delay in holding an inquest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56353/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraEvery family bereaved in the conflict, including the family members of the victims of those shot dead in Springhill Westrock in Belfast on 9 July 1972, must have access to an effective investigation and to a process of justice regardless of the perpetrator. All victims’ families deserve support in securing all the information possible about what happened to their loved ones.
Last July marked the 49th anniversary of the Springhill Westrock massacre, which saw Margaret Gargan, John Dougal, David McCafferty, Patrick Butler and Fr Noel Fitzpatrick lose their lives. Their deaths at Springhill were part of the tragic legacy of the Troubles which saw the loss of over 3500 lives from all communities.
The Government welcomed the announcement in 2014 of a new inquest into the deaths of the five Springhill victims by the then Northern Ireland Attorney General John Larkin. It is understood that earlier this year, the case was listed for a pre-inquest hearing, which is expected to take place in the next 12-18 months. It is a matter of disappointment and frustration that it has taken this long for the family's case to reach this stage. The outcome of the Ballymurphy Inquest demonstrated what can still be achieved on these complex legacy cases all these years later, and the impact that it can have.
As agreed at the BIIGC on 24 June, the Government joined the British Government and the Northern Irish parties in a process of intensive engagement on legacy issues, with discussions beginning in July. The intention is to find an agreed way forward that will allow implementing legislation to be introduced in both the UK and Ireland by the end of this Autumn.
As we have consistently stated, a statute of limitations and the discontinuation of inquests, as proposed by the UK Government in their Command Paper ,is not something that the Government can support. It is important to say that there has been a clear message from victims groups throughout this process that this cannot be the way forward. It has also been strongly and publicly opposed by all the parties.
We have consistently said that we are ready to engage with concerns or issues to do with the implementation of the Stormont House agreement but any such changes must be discussed and agreed by the parties and both Governments. It is vital that any approach is collective if it is to work, and crucially, that it meets both the needs of victims and our shared international human rights obligations.
