Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 May 2001

Vol. 536 No. 2

Adjournment Debate. - Dublin-Monaghan Bombing.

Mr. Deenihan

I thank the Chair for allowing me to raise this matter. The following quotation from Don Mullan's book on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings is an appropriate introduction to my contribution:

Only those who have been intimately touched by the brutality remember, often traumatically, the consequences of an uninvited, unimagined and unexpected violent intrusion into their lives. Unlike a snapshot, which captures a moment in time, the maimed, bereaved and those left to cope often face a never-ending nightmare of torment and deepening sadness.

This sums up the feeling of those left behind in this instance. I appeal to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in view of the resumption of the inquest into the deaths caused by the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, and the hearings of the Oireachtas Joint Committee, to ensure the Government will provide the necessary finance to enable the families of the victims, represented by Justice for the Forgotten, to establish a family service support centre in Dublin as a matter of urgency.

Among the core functions envisaged for the family service support centre in addressing the victims and families' unmet needs will be to provide a personal support service to bereaved relatives and the injured in the context of a family service support programme under the guidance of a suitably qualified programme director, to provide a meeting point and a point of contact for bereaved relatives and the injured, to act as an information resource for families and to co-ordinate responses to elements of the report of the Victims Commission not yet addressed. Support must be provided for individual unmet needs, for families during resumed inquests, for victims of atrocities committed on the island as a whole who are resident in the State and for families during the hearings of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights looking into the report of the independent commission. The annual commemorations must be assisted, as must the construction of memorial monuments in Monaghan and Glasnevin cemetery.

The family services support programme will focus initially on the effects of the bombings on the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health of bereaved family members and identified survivors. As inquests of the independent commission of inquiry resume and public hearings progress, it is expected that many more survivors will connect and ally themselves with Justice for the Forgotten and that witnesses to the bombings will come forward to share their experiences of that day. When that happens, the focus and services of the programme may be reassessed and readjusted to meet changing needs.

The family service support programme should be housed in a convenient physical space where family members would feel free to drop in for a chat at any time, spend time alone or with other members and feel they have a genuine space of their own to come to. I was recently in Derry and I dropped into the centre established for relatives of those killed on Bloody Sunday. The families were certainly positive about the services provided in the centre as they helped them considerably.

I recently asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform a Dáil question on this matter for written reply, requesting funding for this service. On 1 May, I was informed as follows:

The Government is conscious of the particular needs of the victims and the relatives of the victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. In that context, and in addition to the work proceeding on developing an implementation plan in respect of the recommendations in the report of the Victims Commission, an application received from the Justice for the Forgotten group for assistance towards a family support centre is under urgent examination.

I appeal to the Minister to indicate clearly that he intends to provide this funding. I understand that this matter will be considered by the Cabinet shortly.

I am sure the Minister will agree that those involved have been ignored for too long as they have been neglected by successive Governments. It is time their feelings and aspirations were recognised. The Government should respond generously as the resources exist. I understand it would cost about £160,000 to set up this centre, which is a small amount. I appeal seriously to the Minister to view the application sympathetically and to press very hard for it when it comes before the Cabinet.

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I thank Deputy Deenihan for raising this important matter. The bombings in Dublin and Monaghan in 1974 were unspeakable atrocities which resulted in the greatest loss of life in any day of more than 30 years of conflict. Those killed, injured and bereaved were innocent victims of truly appalling violence. We are now in a period where, more and more, violence is rejected and peace embraced.

The Good Friday Agreement provides a real opportunity to achieve lasting peace, but it acknowledges that in securing peace we cannot and must not forget the victims of violence. The section of the Agreement dealing with reconciliation and the victims of violence recognises their suffering must be acknowledged and addressed as an essential element of reconciliation. The Agreement also recognises the importance of providing services that are supportive of and sensitive to the needs of victims.

In line with such commitments, I established the Victims Commission in May 1998 to review the services in place to meet the needs of those who suffered as a result of violent action associated with the conflict in Ireland over the previous 30 years. The commission was to identify what further measures needed to be taken to acknowledge and address the suffering and concerns of victims. My Department provided the staffing and other resources required by the commission, the sole member of which was the former Tánaiste, John Wilson.

The commission's report sets out with great sensitivity what the victims of the conflict told Mr. Wilson. Building on what he was told by the victims as well as by voluntary groups and official bodies, he made a series of wide-ranging and ambitious recommendations, almost 50 in all, covering many different areas. He addressed the issues of dealing with the emotional trauma suffered by the victims and the provision of financial support to both past and future victims, although we pray we will never see victims of such violence again. He made recommendations regarding medical issues which have arisen and those in the service of the State who have become victims. He made recommendations for alleviating the plight of displaced persons and those who suffered economic loss, and he addressed the need for awareness and sensitivity to victims' needs and concerns.

Mr. Wilson also specifically addressed the issue of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, recommending that a former Supreme Court judge be appointed to carry out a private inquiry. In line with this recommendation, an independent commission of inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings was established in December 1999 to undertake a thorough examination, involving fact-finding and assessment, of all aspects of the bombings and their sequel. This inquiry was to look at the facts, circumstances, causes and perpetrators of the bombings, the nature, adequacy and extent of the Garda Síochána's investigation, and the reasons no prosecution took place.

The then recently retired Chief Justice, Mr. Liam Hamilton, agreed to undertake the inquiry, as well as a similar one into the Dundalk bombing of 1975. Due to ill-health, Mr. Hamilton was forced to resign in September 2000 and was succeeded by Mr. Henry Barron, a retired judge of the Supreme Court. Sadly, Mr. Hamilton died soon after. I would like once more to record my appreciation, and that of the Government, for the significant work carried out by the late Mr. Hamilton on these commissions.

I look forward to the completion of Mr. Barron's work. The result of his examination of the issues will be presented to the Government, to be followed by an examination of the report in public session by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. There has been continuing close contact between the Department of the Taoiseach and Justice for the Forgotten in connection with this inquiry.

In addition to these inquiries, the report's recommendations cover a wide range of areas within the competency of a number of Departments and agencies. To allow Departments and agencies maximum flexibility, many of Mr. Wilson's recommendations are formulated in general terms. The relevant Departments and agencies have examined the recommendations to see how they might best be implemented to the maximum benefit of those whom they are intended to help. Deputies will appreciate that this work is quite complex but I expect shortly to be in a position to bring to Government proposals on a framework plan for the implementation of the report's recommendations.

It is against this background that Justice for the Forgotten, which represents the victims and relatives of victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, submitted an application for assistance in establishing a family support centre to provide a personal support service for those injured and bereaved in the bombings and their relatives. The application is for £162,000 a year to cover premises, equipment and staff made up of a therapist, a full-time facilitator, a part-time facilitator and an administrator. Justice for the Forgotten recently met the secretary general of my Department to discuss this application and, more generally, the implementation of the Wilson report. Following a positive and constructive meeting, I considered very carefully the case made by Justice for the Forgotten for assistance for the proposed family support centre. I concluded that Justice for the Forgotten had made a strong case which deserved the fullest consideration in the light of the recommendation of the Wilson report for financial assistance to voluntary groups for counselling for victims of violence.

Those injured and bereaved and their relatives have suffered greatly and have had to live for many years with the dreadful consequences of the bombings. The report of inquiry currently being undertaken by Mr. Barron into the bombings, whatever its findings, and the consideration of the report by the Oireachtas committee, will undoubtedly revive many painful memories and emotions for the victims and their relatives. I will shortly submit to Government a memorandum, taking into account all the factors I have outlined, on the application for financial assistance for a family support centre and I expect to be in a position to inform Justice for the Forgotten of the Government's decision in the very near future.