Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Subject to checking I think that all of the reports of the late Mr. Justice Hamilton and Mr. Justice Barron have been provided. I will check whether they have been given to the present incumbent, the Prime Minister, Mr. Brown. If not, I will have a look at doing that.

In the follow up on the third Barron report, which deals with the murder of Seamus Ludlow, there are a number of recommendations made in the report on the murder of Seamus. Specific recommendations from the Ludlow report have already been acted upon. They include that all mechanisms be fully utilised by the Garda to liaise with the PSNI in respect of the investigation into the murder of Seamus Ludlow; and that the Garda Commissioner appoint a dedicated team of gardaí to re-examine the case in a proactive manner to see if there is any possibility of bringing any or all of the four suspects to justice. I have been advised by the Garda authorities that, as recommended by the Oireachtas joint committee, which was the key recommendation, the reinvestigation of the murder of Seamus Ludlow would commence. That is now at an advanced stage and remains ongoing under the direction of a Garda superintendent. Liaison has been established and maintained with the historical inquiries team in Northern Ireland and the family of the deceased have been kept fully informed of the status of the investigation.

At a recent meeting with the family on 22 January, family members made it clear that in their view only a public inquiry would establish the truth about what happened. Their legal representatives suggested they could frame a process that was narrowly focused with tight procedural deadlines and asked for an opportunity to discuss the inquiry process with officials from the Office of the Attorney General. These discussions are taking place — some have already taken place. I understand from the Attorney General and his officials that, following the first round of those discussions, they are not convinced that one can get a tightly-focused process, as opposed to a prolonged inquiry. They are examining the matter, however.

On the general issue, I have always said that the victims must be central to all that we are dealing with concerning the terrible events of the past. I frequently meet officials who are in ongoing contact with the various groups representing victims of atrocities on all sides. We have provided financial support for a number of those groups. In addition, the Government and the British authorities have set up a number of inquires to deal with specific cases. The British Government has established a well resourced historical inquiries team that will provide a thorough examination or re-examination of unsolved deaths during the Troubles. The Police Ombudsman is reviewing cases involving the police, which can bring closure to victims and survivors and hopefully can build confidence within the community. Of course, the Remembrance Commission is still in place and we have made available resources for that.

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