Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I fully support the resolution which was passed unanimously by this House. The Government will continue to pursue that motion with the British authorities, as it has done to date. I should also mention that the issue of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings also needs to be considered in the context of the discussion on how to deal in a comprehensive manner with the past, which was the subject of the Haass talks prior to Christmas and which continues to be the subject of talks between the parties in Northern Ireland.

The Deputy will be aware that the proposals now under consideration by the Northern Ireland parties envisage the establishment of a historical investigations unit to take over Troubles-related death cases currently within the remit of the PSNI's historical inquiries team and the police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. It also proposes the establishment in Northern Ireland of an independent commission for information retrieval to enable families seek and receive privately information about conflict related events. The commission could also, with the passing of some time, assess the presence of certain patterns or themes across conflict related cases. While these bodies would not have jurisdiction in the Irish State, there may be intended implications in what the Northern Ireland parties set in place for Ireland, which the Irish Government would have to consider carefully in due course. In this regard, I have already made known the Government's commitment to playing an active and constructive role in dealing with the past and encouraging agreement on a new architecture.

What is currently being discussed in Northern Ireland and the framework for the receipt of new information on Troubles-related cases clearly has implications for the Dublin-Monaghan bombings survivors.

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