Brendan Smith urges public to provide information on the disappeared
Brendan Smith addressed the committee on 18 Nov 2021 about the work of the Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains and the continuing need to recover those who remain missing. He endorsed the commission's work, praised its dignified approach and urged anyone or any organisation with information to come forward so families can recover remains and secure burials.
Committee endorsement
He welcomed the three guests to the committee, commended their work on behalf of the State and said he had proposed inviting the Commission in 2018 and again when drafting the committee's work programme. He said the purpose of the appearance was to publicly endorse the commission's important and difficult tasks.
Appeal for information
Mr Smith repeated an appeal for anyone with information to pass it on, saying coverage of proceedings might reach people who have not yet come forward and that conscience should prompt them to do so. He noted meeting Oliver McVeigh last week and said the committee had endorsed the appeal to individuals and organisations to fulfil what he described as a moral duty to provide relevant information.
Protections for informants
He emphasised that information provided to the commission cannot be used for other purposes and that people who provide information will not be prosecuted in relation to any misdeeds or misdemeanours if they carried some out. He said the commission and the chair had outlined those protections clearly.
Historical background and ongoing relevance
Mr Smith set the work in historical context, recalling that John Whitson was appointed in May 1998 after the Good Friday Agreement and that the first report, A Name and a Place, was published in July 1999. He quoted the 1999 report urging anyone with the slightest shred of information to contact the independent commission for the location of victims' remains and said that appeal remains relevant at the end of 2021.
Families, dignity and unfinished tasks
He described the crimes of the Troubles as reprehensible and called the case of the disappeared absolutely reprehensible, stressing the commission's task is to return remains so families can have a Christian burial. Mr Smith noted the work is not complete and said he hoped the remaining three bodies would be returned to their loved ones.
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Thank you very much. I welcome our three guests and their contributions as well. I commend them on the very important work that they are carrying out on behalf of our State. Rosalie is a nominee of the British Government as well. I proposed in 2018 at the time that the Commission would be invited to address this committee. I also proposed this time when we were drafting our work programme for this year that the Commission would be invited back again to give us an update and your work. That was to give us in a parliamentary chamber the opportunity to endorse the very important work, the difficult tasks that you have been assigned with, and that hopefully some coverage of our proceedings, be it in the print or broadcast media, might create that extra awareness that is needed. Hopefully the coverage would get to the people who have information and who have not yet passed it on, that finally their consciences might get to them and pass on that information. I think the three guests have outlined very clearly that if a person passes on information, it cannot be used for any other purposes. Our Carheerlach has outlined that very clearly as well. People who provide information will not be prosecuted in relation to any of their misdeeds or any other misdemeanors if they carried out some. Could I just say that I have been familiar with the work of the Victims Commission from 1998, because John Wilson was the first person appointed by the Irish Government, the former Thawneshire and late John Wilson, whom I had a very close working relationship with over many, many years, and I have the privilege of succeeding him as a TD for Kevin Monaghan when he retired in 1992. At that time, without knowing the detail of any particular cases, I knew how difficult that work was, from talking to John Wilson about it, about it on a general basis. I know that the people who have succeeded in the meantime, Mr Bloomfield carry out admirable work, as did Frank Murray as well. It is important that we recognise the work of the people who served in the roles previously as well. Unfortunately, there were many reprehensible, vile and heinous crimes during the era known as the Troubles, but I suppose the case of the 16 disappeared really is absolutely reprehensible. All murders, maiming of people and injuries inflicted on people are reprehensible. But to abduct, seek to kill and secretly buried persons and not have them returned to their families is beyond comprehension. So it is. The task of your commission is to return to families the remains of persons killed by paramilitaries. The least that anybody deserves is a Christian burial. I think we can never emphasise enough how important it is. We met Oliver McVeigh last week, as our Cahirloc said, Columbus brother, and he appealed again for anybody with information, or any organisation, that they have a moral duty, to put it very mildly, to pass on any relevant information. As a committee, we have totally endorsed that. I know from speaking with families that the commission has worked with over the years, they very much appreciate your method of going about your business, the very dignified, gracious manner and understanding manner that you carry out that work as well. You are to be commended in that respect. My purpose in suggesting that you come before the committee was to, again as I said at the outset, to endorse publicly the important work of the commission. And to also emphasise that the commission tasks are not yet complete, unfortunately. So what we would like to see is obviously the other three bodies returned to their loved ones. Could I just say that two of my colleagues, Senator Erb McGree and Senator Nia Blaney, who hope to be with us later. They are attending on Shannon, where Antisha is addressing the House there. Could I just say that, as I said earlier, John Whitson was appointed by the Government in May of 1998, a month following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. I think that demonstrated the importance that the Government at that time attached to this work, because it was a month after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. What he was tasked with at that time was to review services and arrangements in place to meet the needs of victims of Northern Ireland violence. John Whitson was appointed by the British Government subsequently to carry out that important task on behalf of both governments. But could I just say that the first report to the victims commission, a name and a place, a place and a name, that report was published in July 1999. In one particular comment in regard to the disappeared, I quote, anyone with the slightest shred of information on the possible location of bodies should make this known to the independent commission for the location of victims' remains. It is sad that today, at the end of 2021, that we are appealing still for information so that innocent people can be returned, the remains of innocent people murdered, buried in secret. Some of them abducted, murdered and secretly buried, that they have not yet been returned to their loved ones. That sentence is as relevant today, unfortunately, as it was when it was written in July 1999. Thank you.
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