Vol. 510 No. 6
103 Mr. Gormley asked the Taoiseach the representations, if any, he has received from an organisation (details supplied) seeking justice for the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 17 May 1974; if he will respond positively to the requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23205/99]
Following the announcement of the Government's decision to establish an inquiry into the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, officials from my Department and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, which would have a role in facilitating implementation of the decision we arrived at, met representatives of the group Justice for the Forgotten on 9 October and again on 14 October. At the 14 October meeting, the representatives for the group asked that a period of four weeks be allowed where no action would be taken to set the process for establishing the inquiry in train, to allow the group to make a further submission on the nature on the inquiry to be established and the legal-technical issues involved. The Government considered this request subsequently and agreed to it. A submission is awaited from the group.
The Irish Government called for a public inquiry into Bloody Sunday after the publication of a very detailed assessment of the new material in relation to Bloody Sunday and the Widgery Tribunal. In the Pat Finucane case, British Irish Rights Watch had prepared a very detailed submission on that case. In the cases of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings and Seamus Ludlow, no such detailed assessments have been made.
