Vol. 498 No. 4
389 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will concede to the demand that the parents of those victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974 be allowed to inspect Garda files on the atrocities. [27609/98]
390 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will make a statement on the request by former Tánaiste, Mr. John Wilson, that the relatives of those killed in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings be allowed to view the files from the Garda investigations into the atrocities. [27610/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 389 and 390 together.
I have no power to order the release of Garda investigation files. The position of the Garda authorities remains that it would be contrary to long-standing practice in this case to make files of this kind available to any parties and that it is not proposed to depart from that practice in this case. The Deputy will also be aware that the High Court and, subsequently, the Supreme Court on appeal in their judgments of 27 August 1997 and 22 July 1998, respectively, dismissed a claim by a relative of one of the victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings seeking access to the Garda investigation file for the purposes of his complaint against the United Kingdom to the European Commission of Human Rights.
However, I am anxious to do anything I can to address the needs of all those who have suffered as a result of violent action associated with the conflict in Northern Ireland. I obtained Government approval in May of this year for the establishment of the Victims Commission headed by former Tánaiste, Mr. John Wilson, who was asked to identify what further measures need to be taken to acknowledge and address the suffering and concerns of these persons and, in particular, the needs and concerns of victims and the family of victims of major outrages including those of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.
