Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this issue for discussion. It is a sensitive matter that dates back to 17 May 1973, when a young man of 24 years of age, Michael Leonard, was fatally wounded by an RUC officer travelling close to the Border in County Donegal.I thank my friend and colleague, Councillor Michael Naughton, for raising this matter with me. I acknowledge the search for justice by the Leonard family since 1973. They have been trying to unearth the truth since the evening Michael Leonard was shot dead just before 6 p.m. He was travelling alone in a car close to the Border and the RUC opened fire on him. An inquest was held a number of months shortly afterwards but none of the three police officers who was travelling in the Land Rover that evening was present. There was no cross-examination, therefore, of the facts as they were presented. An RUC inspector gave evidence to the coroner. However, the inquest was riddled with holes and the RUC on at least three occasions changed the details of the story concerning the unlawful murder of Michael Leonard.

This is a matter that essentially requires truth in order that the family can finally lay this matter to rest. They are not willing to do that, and rightly so. I fully support them in their endeavour to find truth and justice for the killing of this young man, who was engaged at the time, in 1973. A charity organisation in the North, known as Paper Trail, helped victims of crime, in particular those who were victims of crimes by the security forces during the Troubles. A great man, Mr. Ciarán MacAirt, has carried out research and investigations together with a cousin of Michael Leonard, Fr. Joe McVeigh. Over the years, he has unearthed research from the British authorities that clearly confirms there was collusion at the heart of the case. It is a fact that the RUC changed its story a number of times to make sure that the truth surrounding the murder never made it to the light of day. That is wrong.

I understand the Government intervened in late 1973-early 1974 and thereafter, seeking to have the truth made available. However, that never happened. There were all sorts of allegations that Michael Leonard was connected with the IRA at the time, that his father was a member of the IRA. That was complete rubbish; there was nothing like that. On that evening the RUC deliberately shot this young man. One of the stories afterwards was that there was one shot fired and another was that the shots were fired over the car, but the truth is that there were at least three shots fired on that evening. There is written evidence to back that up.

There are other cases in the North of Ireland as well where truth and reconciliation is needed to allow the truth to emerge and families to move on. It is difficult to move on when the truth is not made available. The current Attorney General for Northern Ireland, Mr. John Larkin, said that the killing was not justified. He referred the matter to the Public Prosecutions Service to review whether the police should be prosecuted before he would consider the request for a new inquest. There is a requirement for a new inquest. There is also a full requirement to call on the British authorities to release some of the information. I call on the Government and, in particular, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to make a request of the British authorities to execute a fresh and transparent inquiry at which new evidence from the British Ministry of Defence records can be considered in respect of any findings regarding the murder of Michael Leonard; undertake an immediate criminal investigation in conjunction with the British authorities, to be overseen by the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland; and ensure at a diplomatic level that the British Government fully co-operates with such an inquiry. This is about finding truth and justice.

The Leonard family, who live in Pettigo, County Donegal deserves to know the truth. While the truth goes unheard, the results of that botched inquest in 1973 remain the word of the British State. That is wrong. This man did nothing wrong. Go raibh míle maith agat.