Vol. 395 No. 4
6 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he impressed upon the British Home Secretary the necessity to extend urgently the present investigation into units of the Midlands Police Force, back to 1974 as some of the officers at present being investigated were involved in the Birmingham Six case.
10 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will arrange for the placing of the case of the Birmingham Six on the Agenda of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe in Copenhagen in June 1990 which covers human rights issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
25 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline any specific steps he intends to take to secure the release of the Birmingham Six; and if the Taoiseach proposes to raise the matter personally with the British Prime Minister.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 10 and 25 together. The Government's deep concern about the Birmingham Six case has been repeatedly and forcefully made clear to the British authorities. The Taoiseach raised the case with the British Prime Minister when they met at the European Council on 9 December. I myself raised the case last month with both the Home Secretary, Mr. David Waddington, and the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Douglas Hurd and, as late as last Sunday, discussed it with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. Peter Brooke.
The Government's priority lies in having the British authorities re-open this case. In this regard, it is not our intention at present to have it raised at the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe.
In my meeting with the Home Secretary on 8 January, I conveyed the Government's strong view that the current investigation into the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad should be extended to include the Birmingham Six case. While this investigation does not at present go back as far as 1974, the Home Secretary assured me that, if anything emerged from it which was relative to the Birmingham Six case, he would be prepared to have the investigation extended back in time to cover this case.
Would the Minister agree that a case could be made for extending this inquiry as far back as 1974 since a number of officers are common to both cases? A further factor has now entered the picture, the dropping of charges against McBrearty which were based on very doubtful forensic evidence. Two members of the Birmingham Six were convicted on what I consider to be doubtful forensic evidence also. This is a further factor which the Minister might draw to the attention of the Home Secretary in Britain in an effort to convince him to re-open the case.
I share the view being offered by Deputy Barry and I can assure him that as early as 13 September I made that case to the then Home Secretary, Douglas Hurd, and that I made the same case to Mr. Waddington. As the Deputy knows, Mr. Hurd, following my discussion with him, did say that if anything emerged from the investigation into the West Midlands Police he was prepared to allow the investigation go back to 1974. He was not in a position then nor has his successor, Mr. Waddington, been in a position to state officially that they would broaden the investigation and allow it to go back to that date. I made the case which was suggested by Deputy Barry having regard to the fact that certain members of the specialist squad of that police force were also involved in the case of the Birmingham Six. There is no doubt in my mind about that. As I say, this was put to him on a number of occasions and the position is as I have outlined to the Deputy.
What about the McBrearty case?
That has been raised as well.
The time for dealing with priority questions is well nigh exhausted. I would not like to hesitate to the disadvantage of the Deputy or, indeed, any Deputy in such circumstances. If we can dispose of No. 7 let us do so as quickly as possible.
I quite agree.
