A part of the legacy of the troubles on this island is the tragic human cost in terms of the lives lost, the people injured and the families bereaved by the many acts of violence, such as the bombings in Dublin and Monaghan. That human suffering is still felt to this very day and our thoughts are with the victims of the many atrocities perpetrated over the course of the troubles and their families.
Mr. Justice Henry Barron carried out a detailed and painstaking independent inquiry into those awful events and, indeed, other atrocities that took place between 1972 and 1976 in which so many innocent people lost their lives. Related matters were also investigated by a Commission of Investigation carried out by Patrick McEntee SC. Arising from the report of the Barron Inquiry and the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights the Garda Commissioner appointed a dedicated liaison officer for the victims of the bombings in Dublin in 1972 and 1973 and in Dublin and Monaghan in 1974. This dedicated liaison service has been in place since then. It is currently provided by a Garda Superintendent based at the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Dublin.
It is the policy of the Garda Síochána to provide effective liaison with the victims of crime and their families. The Garda Síochána is strongly aware of the importance of victims in the criminal justice system and will continue to make efforts to ensure their needs are met, particularly in respect of making information available to them. The Garda authorities are conscious of the need to ensure that the liaison process is operated in order to best address the needs of the individual victims while at the same time ensuring that criminal investigations would not be in any way compromised.
In achieving this and in the interests of operational effectiveness, Garda liaison with the victims of serious crime and their families, such as those crimes related to the conflict in Northern Ireland, is provided directly to them from the Garda Division and investigation team which is investigating the case at hand. The Gardaí in the Division which is investigating a case are in possession of the detailed and up-to-date information with regard to it and are, therefore, best placed to interact with the victims and their families. Such interaction is done directly by or under the supervision of the relevant Garda Superintendent.
I am sure the Deputy will agree that we must always be conscious that the victims of crime are individuals with individual needs and that any approach must take into account the specific requirements of the individuals themselves. As part of the Government's comprehensive programme of reform in the areas of policing and justice in the State, I have indicated my intention to bring forward new legislation in relation to the remit of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. One of the issues being considered in the context of this project is the basis on which complaints can be dealt with by the Ombudsman Commission. However, it will be appreciated that I must, of course, continue to have regard to ongoing developments in relation to the general question of dealing with the past in terms of the troubles on this island.
