Ms Margaret Urwin:

Deputy Smith asked about the cases not accepted by the Police Ombudsman, in particular, those in Dublin in December 1972 and January 1973 and Belturbet.

The point is that the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland's remit is quite limited because he can only examine or investigate misfeasance by the police. He cannot really investigate cases involving the British Army or the Ulster Defence Regiment, UDR, unfortunately. However, as Mr. Mike Ritchie has stated, that is the only mechanism we have at present and he has gone far down the road in investigating the Glenanne attacks. I made complaints in respect of the bombings of Dublin in 1972 and Belturbet. I did not even make a complaint regarding the bombing in Dublin of January 1973 because there is so little information about it. While I formulated the complaint, there was really no point when the other ones were rejected. I appealed the decision in respect of the December 1972 bombing but again, that appeal was rejected. In the case of Belturbet, there is a slight possibility that it will be accepted. It has been rejected but something has happened recently and it is believed it may be linked to another case being examined at present. It is just possible that it will be accepted and I should know that next week. There will be a decision taken on it.

As for the committee making a request of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, I am not sure that would be appropriate because obviously, the ombudsman makes the decision based on the evidence in front of him and if we do not really have information as to police misfeasance, I do not suppose he is going to take it up. Maybe we could discuss it further, or the committee could discuss whether it thinks that would be an appropriate thing to do.

The Shankill butchers were mentioned. I deal with the Shankill butchers in my book,A State in Denial. Inspector Jimmy Nesbitt is lauded for having solved the case of the Shankill butchers but I believe that had Gerard McLaverty, who is now deceased, not survived, it would never have been solved. Mr. Mickey Brady is quite right, in that it really was allowed to go on and on when they knew very well who was responsible. I am delighted to hear that Senator Black and Deputy Breathnach would like to join the cross-party group. There will be a meeting next Wednesday at 1 p.m. and it will be here. Did I answer everything or was there some other question on which I have missed?