Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this question on behalf of Deputy Smith who has, as Deputy Moynihan has said, a long and active interest in these areas. Next month marks the 51st anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, devastating acts of violence in which 34 people, including an unborn baby, were killed and hundreds of people were injured. At the memorial event to mark the 50th anniversary of the attacks last year in Dublin, I was honoured to lay a wreath remembering those who tragically lost their lives and to meet with families and survivors. I commend them on their courage and dignity since the attacks and throughout their quest for truth and justice.

Our programme for Government clearly states our commitment to address the legacy of the conflict in this jurisdiction. We remain committed to uncovering the truth behind the bombings. The Dáil has unanimously supported four all-party motions calling on the British Government to allow access by an independent international judicial figure to all original documents relating to these atrocities. My predecessors and I have acted on those motions. The absence of a substantive response from the British side to date to requests for access to material is a matter of concern to me. I raised the issue with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at our working dinner in Dublin on 26 February.

We continue to make every effort to facilitate co-operation with legacy investigation bodies outside of this jurisdiction such as Operation Denton, the ongoing independent analytical review into the activities of what was known as the Glenanne gang. Operation Denton is examining these bombings among other atrocities. Extraordinary steps were taken in 2022 by the then Minister for Justice to put in place a bespoke mechanism to allow relevant information from An Garda Síochána to be shared with Operation Denton, which forms part of the Kenova body of work. The much-anticipated publication of Operation Denton's report is anticipated in the coming months. I sincerely hope these findings will shed new light on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. I will continue to take forward the clearly expressed will of the House in respect of these attacks.

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