Dealing with the legacy of the past relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland has been a major priority for me as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. I am particularly conscious of the two all-party motions of this House on the Dublin Monaghan bombings and I hope that we will continue to work collectively to advance their implementation in this new Dáil term.
In relation to Dublin/Monaghan, the Government fully supports the all-party Dáil motions of July 2008 and May 2011 urging the British Government to allow access by an independent international judicial figure to all original documents in their possession relating to the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. I have raised this issue with the British Government on a number of occasions, including most recently on 14 January with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The Taoiseach has also raised this issue with Prime Minister Cameron emphasising the Government’s continued support for the Dáil motions.
I am disappointed to report that despite our urging, the British Government is still considering how to respond to the Dáil motions. However, I have received assurances from Secretary of State Villiers that the issue remains under consideration by the British Government. I have made clear to the Secretary of State that there is a pressing need to provide answers to the families of the victims and underlined the fact that this will remain firmly on the political agenda of the Irish Government given that there is an all-party agreement as set out in the Dáil motions of 2008 and 2011.
I met Justice for the Forgotten on 27 January and updated the group on the Government’s more recent discussions with the British Government. I agreed that the Government will consult the group on any response from the British Government to the Dáil motions. Given the All-Party nature of the Dáil motions, it will also be important to consult the parties in this House on any such response.
