Vol. 553 No. 7
40 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in regard to the appointment of Mr. Justice Peter deCarteret Cory to investigate allegations of possible collusion by the security forces, North and South, in certain killings, the resources which are being made available to the judge to allow him to carry out his inquiries; the envisaged timescale for the inquiry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14817/02]
The appointment of Judge Cory marks an important step towards resolving a number of cases which continue to give rise to allegations of collusion in six cases. The two Governments are committed to providing all resources necessary to enable Judge Cory to conduct his investigation. A copy of Judge Cory's letter of appointment, which incorporates the terms of reference for the investigation, has been lodged in the Oireachtas library.
While it is not for either Government to prescribe a time scale for Judge Cory, both Governments have made it clear that we are keen to see rapid progress. To this end, we have promised to make all relevant material available as soon as possible. The Taoiseach and I had a meeting with Judge Cory on 11 June, at which we discussed his task and welcomed his early arrival in Ireland as a sign of the importance which he attaches to this task. The judge indicated that he was very aware of the concerns of the families in regard to the time scale and that he was committed to as expeditious a process as possible. I wish Judge Cory every success in this important assignment.
