I welcome the publication of the final report of Operation Kenova. It brings me back to a different time many years ago when I was a younger man and became aware of collusion suggestions, British spy networks in the North and the report by former inspector John Stalker, whom the younger generation may not remember. It is worth using search engines to see the work he did, how that work was impeded and the resulting measures that were taken. In summary, in 1986, just before John Stalker, who was chief constable of Manchester police - he was not an inspector - was to make his final report on the issues I just mentioned, he was removed from his position in charge of the inquiry he led. That was in June. Later in June, he was suspended from duty over allegations of associating with criminals. Shortly afterwards, in August, he was cleared of those allegations and returned to duty, but critically he was not reinstated as head of the inquiry he was removed from. That inquiry was taken over by Colin Sampson of West Yorkshire Police and its findings were never made public. One cannot help but think of the words of de Valera in response to Churchill at the end of the war when he said that, more than occasionally in our history, there has been a danger that Britain's necessity would become a moral code. I will not get knee deep in or wade into issues that are sensitive, but I will make one point. In the contemporary climate where the country and the Government need to engage seriously on topics of defence and national security, there has to be a sensitivity that the words "defence" and "security" have a completely different resonance in the Republic of Ireland than they may have in the Six Counties. The Kenova report demonstrates exactly why that is the case. There are lingering suspicions and lingering mistrust, there are a number of unfinished chapters in the history of the relationship between the two islands and plenty of unfinished business needs to be undertaken. There is nothing particularly radical, dramatic or hyperbolic in that statement. Returning to the report in hand, for those who might be watching and wondering, as some of my staff were this morning, what was Operation Kenova, we know it covered a number of operations. It was a group of independent investigations from about 2016 into Troubles-related murders, torture, kidnappings and alleged collusion involving paramilitaries and British state actors. It can be seen as an umbrella for four investigations, namely, Operation Kenova, Operation Denton, Operation Turma and Operation Mizzenmast. The essential summary points of these four investigations were as follows. Operation Kenova looked at the actions of Stakeknife - it is a name we all grew up with but younger people might not be familiar with it - a British agent in the internal security unit of the Provisional IRA. Its focus was on whether murders and torture were allowed in order to protect the agent. The report of Operation Kenova contains strong criticism of the IRA's use of intimidation and violence. Operation Denton looked into the activities of the Glenanne Gang. It reviewed killings by a loyalist network involving UVF, RUC and UDR members. When reading these things, it strikes me that these acronyms are probably completely alien to a modern audience, yet we grew up listening to them every day on every news network. That is a tribute to all those who engaged in bringing and building peace and persuading others of the need for peace. These reports look at some of the unfinished business of that process. The Glenanne Gang was believed to have been responsible for up to 120 murders, including the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. This operation report confirms serious collusion and intelligence-sharing by security forces. No evidence of political level collusion was found. There was no evidence of British state involvement in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, although it has not been definitively excluded, which is a critical point. Operation Turma was an investigation into the 1982 murder of three RUC officers. It led to a prosecution and an extradition this year. The key point arising from that is that, in some cases, historic prosecutions remain possible. Operation Mizzenmast examined the 1972 killing of Jean Smyth-Campbell and alleged failures in the original investigation. It highlighted long-standing issues with how certain killings were handled by the security forces. Operation Kenova allows us another layer of acknowledgement of harm and suffering that was visited on people on both sides, particularly the traumas faced by victims and families across all communities. That is recognised. Forgive me, a Chathaoirleach Gníomhach. I did not realise there was a second Government speaker, so I will wrap up on that. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach might allow a bit more time.

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