Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 3 Jun 1998

Vol. 491 No. 6

Written Answers. - Tuskar Rock Air Crash.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

46 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Public Enterprise whether she has been in contact with the British authorities in connection with the allegations made in the Prime Time programme on 24 March 1998 concerning the Tuskar Rock air disaster; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8034/98]

Liz McManus

Question:

64 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the request, if any, made to the British authorities to make available their files relating to the 1968 Tuskar air disaster; if so, the outcome of the request; the consideration, if any, given to the reopening of the investigation by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12752/98]

Minister for Public Enterprise (Mrs. O'Rourke)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 64 together.

I have not been in contact with the British authorities on this matter nor has any request been made by my Department to the British authorities to make available their files. I would like to reiterate the main points of the comprehensive reply I made to questions on this subject on 2 April 1998. My Department carried out a thorough investigation into this tragic accident, the report of which was published in 1970 and a copy of which is in the Dáil library. The final conclusion of the report was that there is not enough evidence available on which to reach a conclusion of reasonable probability as to the initial cause of this accident.

I offer my sympathy to the families of the victims of this tragedy and to the colleagues of the Aer Lingus crew. It is always unsatisfactory when an accident investigation fails to establish clearly the cause of the accident. I appreciate that it is particularly difficult for the families and friends of the victims of such an accident to come to terms with their loss.

My Department has consistently done all that was possible to establish the cause of the loss of the Aer Lingus Viscount and more importantly the loss of 61 lives so tragically 30 years ago. My Department has always examined any new information as it became available. It did so on several occasions since 1970, including the examination of parts of target aircraft dredged up in 1974 and 1978. However there was nothing found which could positively be linked to the loss of the Aer Lingus Viscount. I am willing to republish the report of the investigation and its appendices and to make copies of these documents available in the Dáil library. However, in the absence of significant new evidence, I am not persuaded to reopen the investigation. Should such new evidence become available, I, like all my predecessors, would be more than willing to have such evidence examined.