Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 June 2004
8 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent attendance at ceremonies to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15411/04]
View answer9 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach when he will next meet with the Justice for the Forgotten group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15412/04]
View answer10 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Taoiseach if he has plans to meet the Justice for the Forgotten group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16327/04]
View answer11 Mr. Costello asked the Taoiseach the action he has taken or plans to take arising from the report of the sub-committee of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights, that considered the report of the Barron inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16280/04]
View answer12 Mr. Costello asked the Taoiseach the action he intends to take arising from the recommendation made by the jury at the inquest into the deaths of victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974 that consideration should be given to a further investigation into the involvement of loyalist paramilitaries. [16281/04]
View answer13 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at ceremonies marking the 30th anniversary of the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16442/04]
View answer14 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach the action he has taken and the further action he proposes to take on the recommendations of the report of the Barron report sub-committee of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights, especially in view of the recent conclusion of the inquest into the deaths of 33 persons in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of May 1974. [17239/04]
View answer15 Mr. Gregory asked the Taoiseach if he has received the full report arising from the inquest into the deaths of victims of the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings; the action he intends to take arising from the statements made at the inquest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17419/04]
View answer16 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach when his next meeting will be with the Justice for the Forgotten group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17636/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 16, inclusive, together.
I attended a wreath-laying ceremony on 17 May, which was the 30th anniversary of the bombings, and met many of the victims and their families. I have not received a request to meet with the Justice for the Forgotten group. I have met the group many times and any request for a meeting would, of course, be considered in the context of my diary commitments.
I received a copy of the proceedings of the inquests from the coroner the week before last. The inquests lasted over three weeks and I know that the families appreciated the opportunity to relate the deep hurt and sense of abandonment they felt over the years. I also note the apology expressed by the coroner on his own behalf and on behalf of his predecessors, for the delay in completing the inquests in the time since the bombings. I hope that the holding of the inquests has helped the healing process for the families.
The House will have the opportunity to debate the report of the Oireachtas committee in the near future before it is considered by the Government.
As the Taoiseach knows, time is passing by and nobody concerned in this matter is getting any younger. The events took place 30 years ago. The Barron report is now being examined by a sub-committee of the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. The recommendations in that report were very specific and two of them refer to actions by this House, including the commission of investigations legislation. Will the Taoiseach ensure that legislation is expedited so it can be passed by both Houses before the summer recess? In that way, both commissions referred to in the legislation can deal with the reasons the Garda inquiry ended so abruptly, as well as inquiring into the missing documents in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, and at Garda headquarters.
We must also begin debating the legislation to allow it to be referred to Westminster for endorsement. The Taoiseach should meet with the British Prime Minister regarding the proposal for a public inquiry in Northern Ireland or Great Britain.
At the inquest hearings, requests were made for a further investigation into loyalist paramilitary activity relating to the 1974 bombings in Dublin and Monaghan. What action does the Taoiseach propose to take in that regard?
Does the Taoiseach acknowledge that time is moving on? We had the Barron report in December and some seven weeks or more have elapsed since the Oireachtas sub-committee dealt with the report and the issues involved. However, there is still no indication from the Government as to what actions might be taken. Will the Taoiseach pledge to the House that time will be allocated to debate the report of the sub-committee before the House rises for the summer recess?
Has the Taoiseach taken any steps to consult with his colleague, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, in respect of Mr. Royston Brady's claims that he has information that would be relevant in this regard?
He did not tell us.
Mr. Brady has made a very serious claim and he is standing by it. I would not dismiss it out of hand. I would like to know if the Taoiseach has taken any steps to establish whether or not the claim is well grounded, and whether or not he has asked Mr. Brady to make whatever information he has available in some cogent fashion.
Is the Taoiseach aware that the Northern Ireland Office, the PSNI and, indeed, the forensic science department in the North each refused to attend the recent inquests on the victims of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings? This follows their refusal to attend the Oireachtas sub-committee's hearings. Does the Taoiseach agree with me that this is totally unacceptable? Does he also agree with the Justice for the Forgotten group that it is utterly hypocritical of the British Secretary of State in the Six Counties, Mr. Paul Murphy, to have written in The Irish Times that he is interested in listening to victims’ families, given that he has also refused to appear personally before the Oireachtas sub-committee?
Will the Taoiseach use his special relationship with the British Prime Minister to have these matters addressed in the course of seeking to establish the cross-jurisdictional public inquiry that is now required?
What action does the Taoiseach propose to take with regard to the failure of his party colleague, and unsuccessful European Parliament candidate, Mr. Royston Brady, to present himself before the Oireachtas sub-committee, given that Mr. Brady has stated he has information relevant to the deliberations of that sub-committee?
As regards the process, it was agreed that we would debate the report in the House before the summer break. The Government will consider the report of the sub-committee and we will then have to deal with the Garda report and the aspects that are special to us. We have already taken up with the British Government and the Northern Ireland Office the other recommendations that were in the report. We have not received a response to those but when the Government formally considers it after the debate here we will renew that effort during the summer.
As regards the ongoing investigations into loyalist involvement, as the Deputy knows, a number of other instances are included in Mr. Justice Barron's report into the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. These include incidents at Clones and Belturbet, the Pettigoe bombings of 1972, and other bombing incidents that took place before May 1974, as well as the Carr case in November 1971. The report on the murders of Oliver Boyce and Bríd Porter is almost ready and Mr. Justice Barron expects to be able to send it to the Government at the end of this week or early next week. Following Government consideration of the report, it is expected to be referred to the Oireachtas and published.
We have taken up the issue of the Loyalists with the NIO which has agreed to investigate three of the four issues on which Mr. Justice Cory reported, apart from the Finucane case. It is not conducting any further investigations on loyalism apart from some of the reports it has already published. It is a pity the individuals from the various sections of Northern Ireland did not attend here. It would at least have been helpful to the families. Even if they did not have a technical or administrative role it would have been good to attend. That is my view but they made their policy decision, which I regret.
If the Lord Mayor of Dublin has anything of note to say he should reply to the letter he received from Mr. Justice Barron and give that information. I am not aware of whether he has any information that would be useful.
I continue to liaise with Justice for the Forgotten which has made several points about the Oireachtas sub-committee's report. We will follow up those issues in the normal way.
I do not wish to labour the point about the Lord Mayor of Dublin but Mr. Justice Barron wrote to him and the Lord Mayor did not see fit even to reply. It is rather strange that his party leader did nothing to influence the Lord Mayor to co-operate at that stage. The Taoiseach has answered the question on the main concerns of the relatives that the Dáil debate this issue and progress it before the summer recess, which I am glad to hear has happened because I have requested that at Whips' meetings.
Will the Taoiseach clarify his position on the view, which is strongly held by many of the relatives, that this matter will not be resolved and concluded without a full public inquiry?
I do not wish to crow over anyone's disappointment but the Taoiseach should make himself aware of what information the Lord Mayor may have so that he can inform the Government process on this. Has he had discussions with the British Government about the possibility of cross-jurisdictional investigation because that is the key to the process? Mr. Justice Barron was impeded in some of his work by inability to get access. Has the Taoiseach made progress on that front?
I wish to get to the nub of this issue. Has the Taoiseach discussed this matter with the Lord Mayor of Dublin who seems to be in possession of very important information? Would it not be in the interests of those who suffered in this atrocity that, as Taoiseach and as a colleague of the Lord Mayor, he would ask him what he actually knows? Has the Taoiseach discussed the matter with him?
The Lord Mayor of Dublin was two years of age when this happened so his memory of any information would not be very good.
Six months ago he was quite clear about it.
He is still two years of age.
If he has information he should answer Mr. Justice Barron's letter. It is a pity the people who have information did not give it over the years. There are people who have very good information but unfortunately we do not have much of that.
In reply to Deputy Gregory's question on a full public inquiry, we have agreed a process which will determine whether an inquiry is necessary but we must follow the process. We should have the Dáil debate, the Government should then consider it and decide where we go from there. If we are to have an inquiry it must be in Northern Ireland or in Britain because only there will we get the witnesses to attend. Justice for the Forgotten has accepted that having it here is of no value because we will not get the witnesses from the North or from Britain. That is the issue on which we must focus our minds because having a public inquiry in Dublin on this matter when the people involved and who have the information are outside this State and not answerable to this Government would be a waste of time.
Why should we accept a snub like that?
It is not a snub.
It is bad manners. We are not talking about violence, we are talking about victims.
As our investigations here showed——
I was on the sub-committee and certain people snubbed it.
The point is the inquiry must be held where it can get the people to attend. That is the issue. If it is to be held anywhere it must be in London or Belfast. I have pursued all the matters connected with this, in terms of the report of the sub-committee and the good debates here, with the British Government.
On a point of order, I asked a direct question and did not receive an answer.
That is not a point of order.
That is a point of order. With respect, I asked the Taoiseach if he had discussed the matter with the Lord Mayor. He has not. Very well.
Deputy Rabbitte's name came before Deputy Costello's on the Order Paper but on the question Deputy Costello's came first, hence the error of calling Deputy Costello first.
