Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The central grave finding of the Smithwick tribunal report is that there was collusion within An Garda Síochána and the IRA in the murders of Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Robert Buchanan. I am appalled and saddened by this finding, as I know all in this House will be. The Government apologised immediately on the publication of Judge Smithwick’s report, but I wish to place that apology on the record of this House. On behalf of the Government and the people of Ireland, I apologise without reservation to the Breen and Buchanan families for any failings identified in the report on the part of the State or any of its agencies. I am truly sorry for the loss and suffering that both families have endured.

I want to acknowledge the dignified manner in which the Breen and Buchanan families have responded to publication of the report, and I wish to join with them in thanking Judge Peter Smithwick for producing such an open, honest and comprehensive report. Out of respect for the families, we should recall the human dimension of this atrocity. Judge Peter Cory in his report in 2003 described Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan as two outstanding RUC officers. Chief Superintendent Breen was a deeply caring family man, devoted to his wife June and to their two children, Gillian and David. Superintendent Buchanan was known as a man of absolute integrity, as a proud, dedicated and able police officer and as a loving husband of Catherine and caring father of their two children, Heather and William. When they were murdered by the IRA on the Edenappa Road near Jonesborough on 20 March 1989, June and Catherine were each deprived of a loving husband and partner; Gillian, David, Heather and William each lost their father. Nothing can undo that.

More than 3,500 men, women and children died during the Troubles. There is no hierarchy of suffering or grief, but where allegations of collusion by agents of the State were concerned, we have long agreed that the State bears a particular and solemn responsibility. I have stated previously that I do not believe we can address the past constructively unless we are each prepared to ask questions of ourselves and of our own role. I believe we have done that today.

I know that members of An Garda Síochána will view actions as documented in the report as a betrayal of the values they uphold and of the very ethos of the Garda Síochána as the guardians of the peace. They will be thinking today of the sacrifices they and their predecessors made in performing their duty during the Troubles. I think today of the gardaí who gave their lives, were injured or put themselves at risk in doing their duty on behalf of the people during the Troubles.

The depth and quality of cross-Border co-operation today between the PSNI and the Garda Síochána is second to none, and I wish to give both forces credit for that. My colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, will meet his counterpart in the Northern Executive, David Ford, along with the Chief Constable of the PSNI, Matt Baggott, and the Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan, shortly to discuss the report. The Oireachtas has been consistent and unflinching in its demand for and pursuit of the truth regarding the allegations of collusion identified by the British and Irish Governments at Weston Park in 2001. The Irish and British Governments then accepted that certain cases from the past gave rise to serious allegations of collusion by the security forces in each of our jurisdictions and remained a source of grave public concern.

The Governments are committed to undertake a thorough investigation of allegations of collusion in the cases of the murders of Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan, Pat Finucane, Lord Justice and Lady Gibson, Robert Hamill, Rosemary Nelson and Billy Wright.

Arising from the Weston Park Agreement, Mr. Peter Cory, an eminent retired Canadian Supreme Court judge, was asked by the two Governments to investigate and report on the allegations of collusion. In line with Judge Cory’s recommendations to the Government, a tribunal of inquiry was established by the Houses of the Oireachtas in 2005 into the murders of Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan. The independent tribunal of inquiry has now concluded its work and Judge Peter Smithwick has submitted his report to this House. While Judge Smithwick does not find direct evidence of collusion in the killings, he concludes, on the balance of probabilities, that collusion did occur involving an unidentified member or members of An Garda Síochána. I again thank Judge Smithwick for his report to the House. I agree that we should make time available to have the report discussed in the House. I will ask the Chief Whip to make the necessary arrangements with the Whips of the Opposition parties.

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