Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. We know that the day of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings was the day of the greatest carnage during the period known as the Troubles. On that day, we witnessed the death of 33 innocent people and injuries caused to 300 innocent people. In replies to parliamentary questions I have consistently tabled, the Minister has indicated very strongly to me that he has raised at every opportunity with the Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, the need for the British Government to respond positively to the unanimous motions passed in this House in May 2008 and 2011. I had the opportunity to speak on both occasions when those motions were put before this House. They requested the British Government to give an eminent independent judicial figure access to the papers and files pertaining to the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. It is reprehensible that the British Government over so many years has not responded to the unanimous request of a sovereign Parliament for access to those papers. As the Minister said and as other Members and I have often said in the House, the very least the victims of the Troubles - the victims of those desperate atrocities - deserve is the truth. It behoves every government and every public agency to ensure everything is done to advance towards achieving the truth for those victims.

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