Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

However, the Prime Minister was not for turning. Maybe Deputy Mansergh was there as well. I do not know. I was not informed of his activities. The fact is that there is still a lack of closure here, there has been a failure to bring the perpetrators of murders to justice and ongoing evidence of collusion.

I do not know whether the Taoiseach has had any contact with the current Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, whether Mr. Brown has had any contact with the Taoiseach or whether officials from both governments have been in touch with each other. This is a matter which we must continue to attempt to sort out.

In his final report on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974, Mr. Justice Barron said that the notion that members of the security forces in Northern Ireland could have been involved in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings was "neither fanciful nor absurd". In his report into the Dublin bombings of 1972 and 1973, Mr. Justice Barron says that it is quite possible that the bombs were planted to influence the debate on that Bill in this House. He also said there were some elements of the attacks that were not characteristic of loyalist subversive groups at that time such as the giving of a warning, the use of hired vehicles, the co-ordinated nature of the blasts and the apparent use of a car stolen four months previously. He went on to say that "these features may be consistent with involvement by the British Army or Intelligence Services in the bombings".

In respect of the bombing of Kay's Tavern, the sub-committee said that in some of the incidents in question, collusion was almost beyond question. Justice for the Forgotten, quite rightly, have been very concerned and vocal about these reports and the necessity to bring closure.

The Taoiseach is aware that we have all supported the Good Friday agreement and the peace process and attempted in whatever way we can, in or outside Government, to make an impact for the greater good of our communities and people. I remind the British Government that strand three of the agreement concerns the development of the east-west relationship between Great Britain and Ireland. This provides an opportunity and a platform for co-operation to again resurrect the requirement that the documentary evidence and written evidence available to the British Government be made available so that some closure can be achieved.

I said earlier in the House today that the atrocious and vicious premeditated murder of Paul Quinn is a litmus test for the peace process. As was the case with the murder of Robert McCartney, on which there is still no closure three years on, we do not want the Paul Quinn case to drift into oblivion. It is 30 years on and families whose perfectly innocent loved ones were blown up still do not have closure for this sense of grief, which the Taoiseach rightly articulated here.

I know some of those from the Dublin bombings. As the Taoiseach is aware, they were from all over the country. The next time the Taoiseach meets the Prime Minister, Mr. Brown, he should suggest that, in the development of all our islands, the First Minister, Dr. Paisley, and Deputy First Minister, Mr. McGuinness, are now working together in the interests of the communities in Northern Ireland and it behoves both governments to see that the assembly can function and make decisions about the lives of the people in Northern Ireland, irrespective of the sector of society from which they come. In the sense of a new era and country, the development of the economic progress of the island, North and South, to which the Irish Government is contributing in terms of roads, infrastructure, cross-Border cultural activity, education and health, here is a sore point that has not been sorted out.

As stated at the beginning, there are people who have the answers to questions of the families. There is evidence on files in the archives of Britain that would lead to much greater information being made available in the hope that perpetrators of those murders would be brought to justice. We had a debate in the House last year and called for a full scale public inquiry into the murder of Mr. Pat Finucane. The House adopted that motion unanimously, without disagreement. As the Taoiseach pointed out, it has not yet happened. In many ways, the longer this goes on, the sorer the point becomes. There are those who know the answers to these questions and there is documentary evidence in archived files at some location, the release of which could be ordered by the British Prime Minister. I hope officials in the Taoiseach's Department make contact. Let us renew the call from this parliamentary democracy to see the investigation into a clear case of collusion between security forces and terrorists being sorted out.

I admire the groups and organisation that have displayed commitment and dedication to seeing this matter being resolved. We can give them whatever assistance we can, through the forum of this Parliament and Legislature. This party supports every effort the Government makes to have this information released and archival documents provided. In stating my admiration for the undying commitment of the groups involved, I recognise that they are still pained, that they still grieve, and that the loved ones taken away so cruelly have not had justice done on their behalf. Politics, politicians and Governments can bring closure to this matter. In not having the evidence one needs to bring those involved before the judicial and legal processes, there is an issue that must be resolved. The Taoiseach will have our full support in efforts to revive the matter. I would appreciate if the Taoiseach would instruct his officials to renew contact with officials on the British side and if the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs could re-establish formal links and try to influence the current British Prime Minister to see that this information is released. This is in the interests of dealing with this matter conclusively but principally for the families involved and those whose lives were cruelly ended by bombs and collusion between security forces and terrorists.

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