Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 8, inclusive, together.

I understand Mr. Justice Barron will report next, at the beginning of June, on the Dublin bombings of 1972 and 1973, together with the Clones, Belturbet and Pettigo bombings of 28 December 1972 and four other bombing incidents that took place before May 1974, as well as the murder of Brid Carr in November 1971 and the murders of Oliver Boyce and Brid Porter.

Following that report, he will report on the case of Seamus Ludlow. He will then report on other cases including the Dundalk bombing of 1975 and in the context of that report, he will report on a number of other bombings that took place after May 1974 including the Castleblaney bombing. I also understand Mr. Justice Barron has concluded his work on substantial portions of these reports but some contacts are still outstanding.

It would be the intention that the report, would be considered by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights and they would be published. I would like to thank the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights for its report and its comprehensive consideration of the Barron report into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974. The sub-committee dealing with the report had a very difficult task and the members of the sub-committee carried out their work diligently and with great sensitivity. This was very important work dealing with the events that caused the highest number of fatalities on a single day during the conflict in Northern Ireland and left so many people suffering and traumatised.

The committee presented its report to the Oireachtas and before coming to any decision on the recommendations contained in the committee's report, the Government would wish to consider the views of the Oireachtas on the report's recommendations.

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