I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. I thank the Minister and his officials for bringing forward this important and necessary Bill, which I support. It is an important step in delivering on our programme for Government commitment to facilitate and support the Omagh bombing inquiry. It reflects the seriousness with which this State must approach the search for truth and accountability in relation to one of the darkest atrocities of the Troubles. The Omagh bombing took place on 15 August 1998, just four months after the Good Friday Agreement had been signed. It was an act of appalling evil, and those who orchestrated and executed that bomb are pure evil as well. A total of 29 people were murdered, including a woman pregnant with twins, and hundreds more were injured. The trauma of that day did not end with the explosion. It has lived on for survivors, their families and entire communities ever since. As Chair of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, we have met with victims and survivors and have heard directly of the pain they continue to carry, but also the dignity, persistence and courage with which they continue to seek answers. Their call is not unreasonable or excessive; it is a basic call for truth, accountability and respect. Peace on this island was not inevitable; it was built painstakingly through courage, compromise and public leadership. It was hard-won and if peace is to endure, our commitment to truth, justice and accountability must endure too. We cannot say we honour the Good Friday Agreement if we turn away from the unfinished business of legacy. We cannot say we support reconciliation if victims and survivors are left carrying unanswered questions decade after decade. This Bill matters because it provides a statutory mechanism for the State to assist the Omagh bombing inquiry in a more structured, transparent and legally robust way. It builds on the steps taken by the Government, including the memorandum of understanding, which the Minister and the chairman of the inquiry signed, on the disclosure of State materials. It also reflects the data protection regulations introduced to enable the lawful disclosure of sensitive personal data. The Bill does adds a further layer of practical co-operation. It creates a bespoke legal mechanism to facilitate the taking of sworn testimony before a judge of the High Court for the purposes of the inquiry. It provides a framework that seeks to maximise the assistance that can be given while safeguarding the essential interests of the State and the rights of witnesses. That balance matters. Assisting an inquiry established under the law of another jurisdiction is legally complex. It raises serious issues around sovereignty, security, due process, witness protection and the integrity of criminal investigations. It is, therefore, right that the legislation is careful, structured and grounded in law but we should also be clear on the principles. Complexity cannot be an excuse for delay and legal difficulty cannot become an excuse for inaction. Families have waited far too long. I welcome the provisions in the Bill that strengthen transparency and ensure that the core participants, families and survivors can hear evidence directly before the High Court. That matters because this process must remain accessible and grounded in the experiences of those affected. The processes must not become remote or abstract exercises. They must remain grounded in the lived reality of those who have borne the consequences of this atrocity for nearly three decades. I also note the provision to extend the mechanism, on a voluntary basis, to former ministerial office-holders, as referred to by the Minister. This is a significant measure that reflects the breadth of the inquiry's work and the need to ensure that where relevant evidence exists, there is an appropriate lawful pathway for that evidence to be heard. More broadly, the Bill speaks to something bigger than one inquiry alone. It speaks to the bona fides of the State in relation to legacy itself and to the credibility of our commitment to cross-Border co-operation. The Minister indicated that more than 20,000 documents have been handed over, which is welcome. The Bill speaks also to our understanding that lasting reconciliation requires openness, honesty and a willingness to confront difficult and sometimes painful truths. The Good Friday Agreement was not just a political settlement. It was a moral turning point on our island. It asked people to choose democracy over violence, hope over hatred and partnership over permanent division. The Omagh bombing was a direct assault on that hope. Supporting this inquiry, and supporting the search for truth in respect of Omagh, is part of defending what the agreement made possible. It also creates confidence around co-operation between Ireland and the UK. It underpins our support for legacy issues. The State must be as transparent as possible and so too must the UK Government. I welcome this debate and the support for the Bill. I do so in solidarity with the victims, survivors and families who have campaigned for so long and with such dignity. I do so in the belief that truth and accountability matter and in the hope that the hard-won peace can be protected, the truth will be revealed, justice can be delivered and the work of reconciliation between the two traditions on this island can continue.

Sentiment score: 0.23