Vol. 441 No. 5
102 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Justice when she will make public the Garda report into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings in view of the fact that she has had a copy of this report since December 1993, and that it is needed to allow a swift commencement of the public inquiry into these bombings; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The report in question is a confidential Garda report which forms part of the Garda investigation file into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings. It has never been the practice to publish such a report and there is no proposal to do so in this case. Apart from any other consideration, the report was not prepared with publication in mind and it could not be published without identifying individuals mentioned in it.
However, conscious of the substantial public interest in this report, I have already undertaken in reply to Priority Question No. 3 and Questions Nos. 18, 33 and 37 on 3 February 1994, to issue a public statement as soon as I have advised the families of the victims of the bombings of my assessment of the report and related documentation. I am currently seeking certain additional information and advice as a matter of urgency to enable me to comply with this undertaking.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply to the Adjournment Debate on 7 July 1993 in so far as the question of a public inquiry into the bombings is concerned.
