Why we need our own truth commission

THE announcement by the British government that it is to examine unsolved murders that occurred during the Troubles in the North yet again throws into sharp relief the lack of a thorough response from the Government to issues that have yet to be addressed here in the South.

The relatively upfront manner in which the British are willing to face up to the anguish that persists in those left behind as victims contrasts with the fearful silence and sometimes vehement opposition of the Irish authorities when it comes to looking at such matters.

Recent admonishments by Austin Currie to leave the past behind betray a fundamental lack of understanding among politicians immersed in the political culture of the South.

In my opinion it is this kind of thinking that is caught up in the past rather than those of us who see hope in the truth behind what took place on this island over the past four decades.

What we need from our politicians is an acknowledgement of the relief that it is possible to achieve through a frank and thorough examination of what was done, and why, during the recent bloody past of our country, irrespective of the outcome. As Joe Higgins, the former TD, said in this context, ‘let the cards fall where they may’.

One only has to look at the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa to understand how this process can be redemptive and uplifting for a whole country.

There are those responsible for injustices, albeit with official sanction, who would gain some relief form being able to give an account of their actions and apologise for them.

The problem in the Republic seems to be politicians whose reputations would be damaged if more of the truth of their involvement in the Troubles became known and what political fallout there might be if, as a nation, we looked too closely at the very real impact of violence on people in close proximity to us. Growing up in the previously anti-British culture in Ireland one would never have expected to find the British government giving practical examples to Irish politicians in the art of the possible. Will we ever be brave enough to seek truth and reconciliation in the Republic and finally take responsibility for our nationhood?

Finian Fallon

Newmarket Square

Wards Hill

Dublin 8