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

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am very glad he has confirmed that the report I brought to the attention of the House in September has been referred by the Minister for Justice to the Garda authorities for further investigation. Again, I compliment Professor Burke of Nottingham University for his detailed report on the reprehensible activities of loyalist paramilitaries in Ulster, particularly in south Ulster and the counties of Cavan and Monaghan.

The Minister of State quite rightly stated that it is almost 50 years since this atrocity was carried out but as I said to the Taoiseach earlier today, it is never too late to get to the truth. These families, whom I know so well, have always acted with dignity and grace. They fully realise that no matter what prosecution follows, sadly it will not bring Geraldine or Paddy back to life but they want to get the truth about who planned and carried out that bombing. They want to know what sinister forces were involved in co-operating and making it possible for the perpetrators to bring a bomb across the Border into Belturbet on 28 December. We hear about legacy issues in general terms but such issues comprise individuals and families; individuals whose lives were taken away and families who have grieved in the meantime. They also comprise others who suffered injuries due to the terrorism inflicted on this island by so-called republican and loyalist paramilitaries and in some cases, by State forces in Northern Ireland.

I appeal to the Minister of State to impress upon An Garda Síochána the importance of ensuring that every effort is made to give momentum to this investigation. I am very glad that the Taoiseach made a commitment in the House today that he will raise with the British and Northern Irish authorities the absolute need for a full, thorough and comprehensive report into this desperate atrocity that sadly took two young lives and caused injuries to many more. The least that the O'Reilly and Stanley families deserve is the truth about who carried out that bombing, causing them such grief and taking away two young innocent lives.

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