Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses and thank them for their contributions on what is a very important matter. I want to start with what is a local issue for me. Being from Cavan, I have a keen interest in seeking justice for the families of those killed in the Belturbet bombing and there were also people injured in Clones and Pettigo on the same day. We assume that was organised and carried out by the same people. A recent documentary highlighted how new information has been unearthed in the British Ministry of Justice and that there has been collusion between the British army, a unionist politician and some loyalist paramilitaries in particular in regard to blowing up Aghalane Bridge. There was also a problem in gaining access to some of the Garda files.

Are the Belturbet, Pettigo and Clones bombs part of Operation Denton or are they one of the cases awaiting decision on admissibility? If that is the case, do we have a time for that or are there impediments that explain why that is not progressing? If not, are there other avenues open to those who are seeking access to the truth?

On a question to Ms Urwin, it is two and a half years since she appeared before the committee in June 2019. Recommendations from Dr. Thomas Leahy were discussed at the time. Can I have a progress report on any recommendations that were made and whether they were implemented? At that time, there was a recommendation that the Irish Government set up a parallel historical investigations unit. There were also recommendations that outstanding issues from the Barron, McEntee and Smithwick reports should be implemented, although I do not know if that has happened. It was also recommended that a victims commissioner be reappointed and that a commission of inquiry into Seamus Ludlow’s murder be held, and I know that has not happened. At that time, a committee had been established to consider the release of files from the Department of Justice relating to British and loyalist violence but that committee was suspended in 2009. Has that committee been re-established?