Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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169. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will raise again with the British Government the need to release the files and papers pertaining to the Dublin-Monaghan bombings of May 1974; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15328/15]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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In May 1974 the single greatest act of carnage in the period known as the Troubles on our island resulted in the deaths of 44 innocent people from Dublin city and Monaghan town.

The Dáil, in 2008 and 2011, unanimously passed a motion requesting the British Government to give an international eminent legal person access to papers and files relating to those bombings. Unfortunately, to date, the British Government has not reacted positively to a call from a sovereign Parliament.

Will the Minister ensure that he raises again with members of the British Government, at every opportunity he has, the need for it to respond positively to those calls by Dáil Éireann to release those papers and progress those investigations into the desperate and evil deeds that occurred in May 1974?

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge Deputy Smith's long-standing interest in this matter. I assure him and the House that the Government fully supports the all-party Dáil motions of July 2008 and May 2011 urging the British Government to allow access by an independent international judicial figure to all original documents in its possession relating to the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. I have raised this issue with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Ms Theresa Villiers MP, including when I met her in Belfast in January of this year and in Dublin in February. I am aware and I welcome that Deputy Smith and his party leader, Deputy Micheál Martin, raised this matter with Secretary of State Villiers when they had the opportunity to meet her in February also. The Secretary of State has indicated to me on a number of occasions that the British Government would consider afresh how it can respond to these Dáil motions.

I welcome the continued all-party support for the campaign on behalf of the Dublin and Monaghan families. The Justice for the Forgotten campaign, which supports victims and their families and operates as a project of the Pat Finucane Centre, received grant support of almost €50,000 in 2014 from the reconciliation fund operated by my Department. The funding will assist Justice for the Forgotten with its important work. I am aware that my officials will be meeting with representatives of Justice for the Forgotten in Belfast tomorrow in regard to the provisions for dealing with the past in the Stormont House Agreement. Indeed, I would hope to have the opportunity to meet with Justice for the Forgotten over the coming weeks, and I am conscious in that regard that the anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings falls on 17 May next. I accept that anniversaries can be a particularly difficult time for the families of victims and for survivors, and the Dublin and Monaghan families are in my thoughts as we discuss this most sensitive of issues in the House today. I wish to assure Deputy Smith of my ongoing interest.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister sincerely for his interest. I keep raising this issue because we want to assure the families of the victims, and victims themselves, that we are determined, as a Parliament, to ensure proper and full investigations are carried out. Before the 41st anniversary of these awful deeds, a new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will probably have been appointed by a new British Government. Will the Minister give us an assurance that, in his first engagement with the new Secretary of State or with members of the new British Government, he will raise this as a particular subject on which we need progress? It is absolutely unacceptable that there has not been a positive response by the British Government to the ongoing work of successive Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Trade and successive Governments, and the unanimous motions passed by this House on two separate occasions. I hope the Minister will raise this with the new incumbent, whatever party that person belongs to.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I assure Deputy Smith that I will continue my efforts in order to ensure this issue can be progressed. On his recent visit to Belfast, the Taoiseach made clear the importance which this Government attaches to the issue of disclosure and co-operation in dealing with the legacy of the past. For the Irish Government and other State authorities, this means committing to co-operating to the fullest possible extent with all of the many legacy cases.

In this context, I assure Deputy Smith that I will continue to call on the British Government to provide access to an independent international judicial figure and to original documents in its possession relating to the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. I propose to take this matter up at an early date, once a Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has been appointed following the upcoming elections to Westminster.

Before the 41st annuiversary of these awful deeds, a new Secregtary of State for Northern Irelzand will probably have been appointed by a new British Government

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister acknowledged the engagement Deputy Micheál Martin and myself have had with the Secretary of State.

We also engaged with the Labour Party spokesperson for Northern Ireland, Mr. Lewis MP.

As the Minister knows, the Barron report is extremely important. Mr. Justice Henry Barron found grounds for suspecting that the bombers may have had help from members of the British security forces. Likewise, with regard to the atrocity in Monaghan town, the UVF claimed responsibility. There is a body of evidence which points in one direction in regard to where the responsibilities for these murders rest. If the British Government is not forthcoming at an early date in responding positively to the request of this House, will the Government consider initiating legal action against the British authorities?

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I assure Deputy Smith that I have consistently raised the issue with my counterpart, Secretary of State Villiers. I acknowledge the contribution, help, assistance and influence of the leader of the Opposition and Deputy Smith not just recently, but over a long period of time. I assure the Deputy that, in the context of my deliberations, my Department has a long-standing relationship with the Justice for the Forgotten group. We have had several meetings with it, both at official and ministerial levels. I would be happy, as I said in my reply, to have an opportunity to meet it and I undertake to take up the matter in a vigorous and vociferous way as soon as the new Secretary of State is appointed, following the election in Britain on 7 May.