Ms Margaret Urwin:

As already stated, I cannot think of another family who were treated as badly. The Ludlow family have taken a case here regarding commissions of investigation, which they lost and are appealing. I appeal to this committee to get these commissions set up, as was recommended by the sub-committee of the joint Oireachtas committee in 2006. That should happen. I know the family is also taking a case in the North in respect of a decision made by the DPP in the past.

At least we have an investigation into the Dundalk bombing because it has been accepted by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland as part of Operation Newham, which involves all of the linked Glenanne cases, North and South. The Dublin and Monaghan bombings are also included in that, as is the murder of John Francis Green and the Castleblaney bombing. They are all linked to that and are all being investigated by the Police Ombudsman. However, the other cases - the Ludlow case, the Dublin bombings of and 1972 and 1973 and also the Belturbet bombing - were not accepted. As I explained, this arises if there is not enough information on malfeasance by the RUC as the Police Ombudsman's remit does not extend to looking at the UDR or the British Army unless it is part of what he is looking at in the context of the police. At least the Dundalk bombing is being investigated.