Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Friday will mark the 50th anniversary and the 50th year since 34 innocent lives were lost as a result of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. As we heard, hundreds were also injured on that day. The Dublin and Monaghan bombings changed the lives of so many forever, and not just those who were killed or injured. I want to acknowledge the presence, as my colleagues have, of some of the families of the victims. The Justice for the Forgotten group has done so much in its campaign for truth and justice over the years.

It is now undisputed, except by those who have a modus operandi to hide the truth and frustrate justice, that the bombings were carried out by loyalists with the collusion of British security personnel. That tactic was deployed by the British state for decades, and was championed by Frank Kitson, using what he called “counter gangs” to carry out the designs of the British military, intelligence services and government.

To this day, the British Government has refused to disclose the actions of its intelligence services, both in the wider conflict and with respect to the bombings on that fateful and tragic day. In 2005, the committee on justice was unequivocal in its conclusion when it stated, "We are dealing with acts of international terrorism that were colluded in by the British security forces”. The British Government's legacy Act is indicative of its approach to truth and justice and the lengths to which they will go to in order to protect themselves and the British state with little regard to victims and their families. In this matter, these atrocities remain unsolved.

The motion calls on the Government to ensure that all requests made by Operation Denton to authorities in this jurisdiction are acted on as a matter of priority and to urge and directly raise with the British Government the need to provide all relevant materials to investigators. This motion has received cross-party support, similar to previous motions that were tabled and introduced by Sinn Féin in the past years. They were also unanimously adopted. However, what is required is not simply words; we need actions. The families demand actions. Every victim is deserving of truth and justice, and that includes those who lost their lives in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. As we approach the 50th anniversary of these atrocities, it is time to redouble our efforts so that they and their families get what they deserve: truth and justice.

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