Dealing with the legacy of the past relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland is a major priority for me as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Government, and this is reflected in the new Programme for Government. In relation to the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, we have specifically committed in the Programme for Government to continuing our active pursuit of the implementation of the All-Party Dáil motions of 2008 and 2011. These motions urge 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.
The Government remains entirely committed to this approach. I have raised the issue with the British Government on a number of occasions, most recently in a telephone call with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 9 May. The Taoiseach has also previously raised the matter with Prime Minister Cameron, emphasising the Government’s continued support for the Dáil motions.
Despite our urging, the British Government is still considering how to respond to the Dáil motions. However, I have received assurances from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland that the British Government continues to consider the issue. I have made clear to the Secretary of State that this will remain firmly on the political agenda of the Government and Dáil Éireann.
The Government will continue to urge the British Government to allow access by an independent international judicial figure to all original documents in their possession relating to these bombings. I hope that in the week ahead the 32nd Dáil will debate and agree a fresh all-Party motion on this issue, which would reaffirm our shared will and determination to secure progress on the Dublin-Monaghan bombings.
On Tuesday 17 May, the 42nd anniversary of the bombings, I represented the Government at the commemoration ceremony and stood in solidarity with the families of victims and survivors of the atrocity.
Decades old cases, such as the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, 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 with the British Government the obligation to ensure effective investigations of such cases, including in instances of alleged collusion.
Many families continue to deal not only with the awful pain of losing a loved one, but also with the struggle for answers decades after these traumatic events..The establishment of a new comprehensive framework for dealing with the past, as envisaged in the Stormont House Agreement, is a priority for the Government.
Following the Assembly elections in Northern Ireland, I have engaged further on this issue, most recently on a visit to Belfast this week where I had discussions about the possible route to a final agreement on legacy issues. The Government believes that the legacy institutions agreed under the Stormont House Agreement offer the best hope of helping the thousands of families touched by the Troubles. I am therefore actively working to secure the necessary political agreement to get the legacy bodies established and up and running as soon as possible.
