Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 16 Dec 2003

Vol. 577 No. 3

Adjournment Debate. - Barron Report.

Mr. Ferris:

According to the Barron report, many of the documents relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings have been lost or destroyed. The inquiry was not able to see the security file on the Dublin bombings, for example, and there are no files on the UVF and UDA for 1974 and 1975, while there are files for all other years. According to the report, the commission was not given any explanation for their disappearance nor for the files on the Dublin bombings on 1 December 1972 that led to the introduction of the Offences against the State (Amendment) Act, which is strongly suspected was carried out by British intelligence agents. It is also worth remembering that on the day the Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1972 was introduced, the Government was on the verge of falling were it not for the intervention of the then leader of the Fine Gael Party, Liam Cosgrave. The bombings in this city on that day prompted him to support the Government.

Apart from the missing files, the report states: "The Garda investigation failed to make full use of the information it obtained . . . The Government of the day showed little interest in the bombings." Why this was so must also be the subject of an inquiry. It is vital that the commission of inquiry should proceed immediately with an investigation not only into the events referred to in the preface to the report but also into all incidents that took place within this State from 1969 to 1976 where there is strong evidence of involvement by the British military and intelligence services.

It is also necessary to examine the killing of John Francis Green and subsequent evidence given by members of British military intelligence at that time that they were directly involved in that killing. There is too the case of Thomas Ludlow.

Furthermore, the Littlejohns, self-proclaimed British agents, were at that time acting at the behest of British intelligence. There are hints of this in the report, with references to British military personnel seen in Dublin at the time of the December 1972 bombs and immediately prior to the May 1974 incidents. Another British officer was found in possession of weapons in Dublin on the day of the bombings. Such an inquiry should take place in public so there can be a full account of what took place.

Another issue mentioned is the role of agents within the Garda Special Branch. John McCoy, who was central to the Monaghan investigation, is mentioned and there have been strong allegations over the years regarding his connections and meetings with British security forces. It also appears that former Garda Commissioner, Ned Garvey, was well aware of whatever contacts were taking place.

The most damning aspect of the report, however, is its verdict on the role of the Fine Gael-Labour coalition Government of the time. This Government contained such upstanding defenders of law and order as Liam Cosgrave, Paddy Cooney, Paddy Donegan and, of course, Conor Cruise O'Brien.

Mr. O'Dowd:

They never had blood on their hands. They always stood by the State, unlike the Deputy.

Mr. Ferris:

What was their reaction to the bombings in 1974? According to the report, they made no effort to assist the investigation and when they were told that some of those responsible had been interned, they made no effort to follow up and pursue those individuals after they were released a short time later. Furthermore, serving members of the Garda at the time were under the distinct impression that the Government of the day did not want the investigation to be continued. It was not.

All these matters must be subject to a full public inquiry. Some of the families have already called for this. It appears that everybody else who was party to the conflict of the past 30 years is expected to apologise continually and explain themselves. The least that those who were responsible for ignoring the murder of dozens of people in this city and the subversion of the very institutions they claimed to cherish above all else ought to be made do is the same. Lest we forget, the then Minister for Justice, Paddy Cooney, was instrumental in the formation of the heavy gang.

An Ceann Comhairle:

The Dáil passed a resolution last week referring the issues raised in the Barron inquiry to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. The committee will commence its hearings next month. In these circumstances, Members should avoid making detailed references which would, in effect, pre-empt the committee's report. It would not be usual to go into detail about the matter and there is a ruling of the Chair in this regard, ruling 293, should the Deputy wish to consult it.

Mr. Ferris:

Thank you. My party believes that the only way justice can be done for the victims of the 1972 and 1974 bombings and with regard to the deaths of John Francis Green and Thomas Ludlow is through a full public inquiry.

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (Mr. Kitt):

The Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 17 May 1974 were devastating outrages, which left 34 people dead and more than 240 injured. Many people never recovered. For many others, the legacy of pain and suffering remains and some still suffer from their injuries to this day.

Terrible distress has been caused to the injured and bereaved victims of the bombings not only by the pain and injury to themselves but also by their sense that they were bereft of the support of the State and abandoned at their time of need. Over the years since the bombings, the victims and the relatives of the victims have campaigned to find out the truth about what happened. They had many difficult years during which they found they could not get a hearing. Their representative group, Justice for the Forgotten, worked hard to bring their cause to the attention of the public and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their persistence.

I welcome the publication of the report by the former Supreme Court Judge, Mr. Justice Henry Barron, into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings. When the Taoiseach met with Justice for the Forgotten in April 1999, the first Taoiseach to do so, he assured its members that he would do all he could to find out the truth of what happened on that terrible day. The families have had a long struggle for the truth and the publication of the report last week is helpful. The Taoiseach had the opportunity, together with Mr. Justice Barron, to meet with representatives of Justice for the Forgotten at their request on Wednesday last, before the publication of the report.

At that meeting, the Taoiseach was glad to avail of the opportunity to thank Mr. Justice Barron and his team personally for their hard work and dedication in bringing this phase of work to a conclusion. He also paid tribute to Justice for the Forgotten for its assistance to the inquiry and for its dedication and tenacity in pursuing its campaign for the truth, to the earlier work of the former Chief Justice, the late Liam Hamilton, and to the work of the Victims Commission, whose sole member, the former Tánaiste, John Wilson, also recommended an inquiry.

The Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights will now consider, including in public session, the report of the independent commission and report back to the Dáil and Seanad within three months with its findings on whether the report addresses all the issues covered in the terms of reference of the inquiry, the lessons to be drawn and any actions to be taken in the light of the report, its findings and conclusions. As Deputy Ardagh said on publication of the report: "The report represents almost four years of difficult, painstaking work and I believe makes a valuable contribution towards shedding light on a very murky world." The joint committee has been asked by the Dáil and Seanad to advise and report back, having regard to the report's findings and following consultations with the inquiry, on whether a further public inquiry into any aspect of the report would be required or fruitful.

There are serious, complex issues involved and I do not wish to pre-empt the work of the committee. We should wait and see what the committee recommends before we make a judgment. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Paul Murphy, has said that the British Government will consider the report with great care and that the British Government, from Prime Minister Blair down, has been committed to helping the inquiry as fully as possible. I hope this assistance also extends to the work of the joint committee.

The Taoiseach's objective and the objective of Justice for the Forgotten was to find out the truth about what happened. Substantial progress has been made. Now the joint committee will have to consider if it is feasible to get beyond the information we have now and, if so, how that can be done. The committee will wish to hear from relevant people and it can accept, including in public session, submissions on the report from interested persons and bodies. I am sure some people will want to avail of the opportunity to talk to the committee about the content of the report. I therefore do not wish to say anything until people have had an opportunity to consider what the report says regarding their role and have had the opportunity to respond. The committee has set a date of 9 January for receipt of submissions and it will issue invitations to various interested parties to hearings in January.

Since its publication last week, the Barron report has given rise to considerable public comment. The report represents four years work by the independent commission of inquiry and will take some time to assess. It is entirely appropriate that the joint committee should undertake this assessment and I look forward to the report of the committee and its careful assessment of the report and its conclusions.

I understand Mr. Justice Barron will report early in the new year on the Dublin bombings of 1972 and 1973 and on the other cases referred to him, including the Seamus Ludlow case and the Dundalk bombing of 1975. Following recommendations of the Victims Commission, the remembrance fund, which was established earlier this year, will accept applications for funding early in the new year from those who suffered as a result of the troubles in Northern Ireland in this jurisdiction. A sum of €9 million will be available over three years and the fund will be administered by a commission chaired by the former Minister for Foreign Affairs, David Andrews.