Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Over Christmas Members had a chance to read the report and consider its annexes. We now have substantially more knowledge than we ever had before. One can piece together through the documentation what may or may not have happened. It is no longer woolly. There is much information available.

The Deputy asked whether any more information is available. All I can tell him is that I do not think the British Prime Minister is knowingly withholding information or files which he believes we need. He is well aware of the standing of this inquiry, which has the backing of the Oireachtas, and the status of the late Mr. Justice Hamilton, formerly Chief Justice of the State. There is also the question of the possible involvement of MI5, MI6 and other security elements, and whether their involvement was official. People must reach their own conclusions about this. The British Government has given its views and has co-operated with us in this matter, passing on files for our consideration. Mr. Justice Barron must answer the question of whether there were rogue elements in these security services.

I do not think there is any other way of obtaining these documents. If there are other aspects of co-operation we will deal with them. Everybody from the Attorney General on the British side to various Ministries of Defence and all Secretaries of State from Mo Mowlam onwards — there have been three or four since that period — have been well seized of these matters. The committee may come up with other questions in its examination. If the committee asks me for my co-operation I will give it fully. The information available to me, however, is already on the record of the House.

Throughout the process we have been trying to help Justice for the Forgotten and all the resources we have provided have gone to that group. Some of these were ex gratia contributions to assist the group and some were taken up in the group's legal expenses. This includes €700,000 for the group's legal expenses and €167,000 for its administrative expenses. These were from the start-up phase and, more recently since 2001, €500,000 has been paid to the group. In addition to those payments, the Government has made an ex gratia contribution to the relatives to pay for the assessment of the review. This was because the group received many reports and annexes to those reports. This contribution was to help the group's review and also to see what other procedures may arise and offers that could have been made to it. Not all the legal representatives of the victims are tied up with Justice for the Forgotten. Some of the victims have gone with their own representatives which are also covered in these payments.

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