Louth Senator proposed motion on the 'Disappeared'

Fianna Fáil Senators Erin McGreehan and Niall Blaney have proposed a motion to Seanad Eireann calling for anyone who has information about the Disappeared, however small, to inform the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains families.

The motion recognises that there were 19 people who ‘disappeared’ as a result of paramilitary organisations during The Troubles/Conflict. Of these 19, to date 14 of the victims have been recovered with five still missing. 

Lisa Dorrian who disappeared in 2005 and Gareth O’Connor who disappeared in 2003 are included in these 19.

Their cases were not included in the remit and legislation for the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR) which can only work on the cases of those who disappeared up to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Louth Senator Erin McGreehan said: “I am very humbled to be a co-signature on this motion.

“The Disappeared and the horror and cruelty of the reality of what has happened is so real to me, coming from the Cooley Peninsula where Jean McConville’s body was found in 2003 on Sheling Hill beach.

“The cruelty of the act, the disgusting lies they peddled about her, and the horrors that were done to her children have left a mark on me.

“There are still families out there suffering, living with the agony of the loss and the torture of the unknown.

“There must be some humanity left in the people who know the whereabouts of the remaining five people, and I plead to them to give some relief to families.”

Donegal Senator Niall Blaney said: “The ‘Disappeared’ are a tragic symbol of the loss of life and hurt experienced by communities in the North during the Troubles.

“We have brought this motion forward to call on anyone with any sort of information in relation to those people who remain disappeared to come forward.” 

The motion acknowledges that communities within the North have been silent concerning the cases of these missing people as a result of the fear of the consequences of speaking out. 

“Since the inception of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains in 1999, no person has ever been interviewed as a suspect, arrested, charged or convicted as a result of information that was passed to the Commission as such information can only be used to recover and repatriate victims.

“We are calling on anyone with information to please come forward to the commission. The families of the ‘Disappeared’ have long enough suffered through a lack of closure for their loved ones' loss and it’s time we put that to an end,” added Senator Blaney.