Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

A couple of weeks ago the Taoiseach was in Manchester where, among a number of other high profile activities, he met the UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. In the context of the new relationship between Ireland and Britain, the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process, which everybody supports, the allegations of collusion which were debated in this House a couple of weeks ago are central issues. If we are to have an Ireland that lives at peace with itself North and South, east and west, and which allows its various communities to develop, a number of fundamental matters must be addressed.

Did the Taoiseach raise with the Prime Minister the British Government's practice during the time of the former Prime Minister, Mr. Blair, and previously of withholding information that was relevant to the bombings and allegations of collusion between security forces and persons involved in acts of terrorism? If that is not addressed and the information is available in the British archives, it will be a running sore on the relationship between both countries. Did the Taoiseach request the Prime Minister to demand that the latter's Government provide all the necessary documentation in order that the matter might be cleared up once and for all and, if so, what was the response?

Did he raise the British lack of co-operation during the North-South Ministerial Council meeting in Dundalk, which I understand was quite successful? That was an opportunity for the British Government to show its seriousness about cleansing the wound and bringing a conclusion to these matters, thereby allowing a strong relationship to be built for the future.

Does he have a view on the refusal by his Department to provide documents to the tribunal investigating the murder of the RUC officers, Harry Breen and Bob Buchanan, which was also the subject of a report?

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