Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 June 2016
141. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the recent report of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the Loughinisland murders in County Down in June 1994; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16353/16]
View answer142. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his proposals to discuss with members of the Northern Ireland Executive and with the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Ms Theresa Villiers, the recent report by the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland into the Loughinisland murders in County Down in June 1994; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16354/16]
View answer143. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his proposals to discuss with the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Ms Theresa Villiers, the widespread concerns about collusion by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the British Army with paramilitary organisations resulting in sectarian mass murder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16355/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 141 to 143, inclusive, together.
The report by the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland into the events surrounding the tragic murder of six men in Loughinisland in 1994 causes deep concerns.
My thoughts are first and foremost with the families of these victims for whom this report will be a very difficult reminder of their loss and pain. The Ombudsman’s report fundamentally vindicates the concerns the families have raised over many years and their continuing search for justice.
The Ombudsman’s findings are deeply disturbing; in particular his determination that “collusion is a significant feature of the Loughinisland murders”.
The report must now be carefully examined with a view to the question of further investigations and possible prosecutions. The Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland has made clear that the PSNI remains firmly committed to apprehending those responsible for these appalling sectarian murders.
Despite its disturbing findings, the report is an important reminder of the central importance of the Police Ombudsman in supporting public confidence in the new policing arrangements in Northern Ireland, as envisaged in the Patten Report. I welcome the full co-operation of the Police Service of Northern Ireland with the Police Ombudsman’s investigation.
Cases involving collusion such as the Loughinisland Massacre, must be adequately addressed if we are to achieve a genuinely reconciled society. Successive Irish Governments, in our ongoing bilateral relations with the UK and through the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg, have consistently raised the issue of collusion with the British Government.
I intend on raising this issue again at my next meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Many families, including those bereaved by incidents in which collusion has been alleged, continue to deal not only with the awful pain of losing a loved one, but with the struggle for answers decades after these traumatic events. I understand and acknowledge the frustration of families who for too long have had to contend with inadequate mechanisms for addressing their cases.
The Police Ombudsman’s report is yet another stark reminder of the need to agree mechanisms for dealing with the painful legacy of the past in Northern Ireland. The establishment of a new comprehensive framework for dealing with the past, as envisaged in the Stormont House Agreement, remains a priority for me in my engagement with the British Government and the political parties in Northern Ireland. I believe that these mechanisms offer the best hope of helping the thousands of families touched by loss of loved ones in the Troubles – including those affected by collusion.
