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

I thank the Minister for his reply. In her book Lethal Allies, Anne Cadwallader recounts the stories of 120 people who were murdered by loyalist gangs, some of which were armed from UDR depots. With one exception - a person who was linked to the IRA - none of those 120 people was involved in violence. They were citizens going about their daily work and included active members of the SDLP, the GAA and other local community organisations. I wish to refer to a desperate atrocity for which the murderer or murderers have never been brought to justice. In Lethal Allies, Ms Cadwallader explains:

In between the Dublin bombings of 1 December 1972 and 20 January 1973, Fermanagh-based members of the UDR and UVF carried out three bombings within an hour - in Clones (County Monaghan), Belturbet (County Cavan) [both of which are in my constituency] and Pettigo (County Donegal) - all on 28 December 1972. Two teenagers, Geraldine O'Reilly (aged fifteen) [from Belturbet] and Paddy Stanley (aged sixteen) [from Clara, County Offaly], were killed in Belturbet. Again, no one was brought to justice.

The Minister quite rightly referred to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, which, as we know, happened on 17 May 1974. Some 33 innocent people were killed and almost 300 people were wounded. That day witnessed the highest number of casualties on any single day during that awful period on this island known as the Troubles. We should always remember that the UVF claimed responsibility for those bombings in our capital city and in Monaghan in my own constituency. Various credible allegations that elements of the British security forces colluded with the UVF in those bombings are available as well. A number of years ago, an Oireachtas committee did excellent work following on from the Barron report. It termed the attacks of 17 May 1974 as an act of "international terrorism".

The Minister also referred to the recent BBC and RTE documentaries. All of us were probably aware of the individual incidents, but when we watched the programme it was really chilling to see how it put a background to the carnage and horror that were inflicted on so many innocent people. I had the privilege and honour of being able to speak during the debates in 2008 and 2011 when this House unanimously carried motions calling on the British Government to give access to all papers pertaining to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings to an international independent eminent judicial person. Unfortunately, the British Government has refused to accede to this fair request, which was made by a sovereign Parliament. I appreciate that the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, intends to talk to the Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan, about this matter. I put it to both Ministers that it is of the utmost importance for the Government to use every forum available to it at political and public administration levels to call on the British Government to respond positively to the requests of this sovereign Parliament. The minimum that the families deserve is the truth. These murderers must be brought to justice. I refer not only to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings but also to the bombing I have mentioned in County Cavan, which is in my constituency. I know the two families that lost young teenagers on that desperate night at Christmas 1972.

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