Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I was reading some of the cuttings in respect of the Miami Showband killings on 30 July 1975, which many people will recall. I know the Taoiseach has met members of the families. Mr. Justice Barron, in his reflections on that case, said it painted a clear picture of collaboration between members of the security forces and loyalist extremists. He said the inquiry would be shutting its eyes to reality if it accepted that such collaboration was limited to the cases in which collusion had been proven. By September of that year, the identities of the murder gang were known — arising from the minutes of a meeting involving the then British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, the Northern Ireland Secret of State at the time, Mr. Merlyn Rees, the future Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the late Mr. Airey Neave, MP. That went on to say there had been serious infiltration by extremist Protestants in the south Armagh area.

Perhaps the Taoiseach can indicate whether Prime Minister Blair has made any further advance as regards providing information that can assist in view of Mr. Justice Barron's recommendations. Is it the same old story? I know the Taoiseach has raised this matter on quite a number of occasions, but it does not seem to have got anywhere. Is he hopeful that Prime Minister Blair might, perhaps, change his mind in that regard?

See this speech in context