Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Today, as we approach the 50th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, my colleagues in the other House will bring forward a motion on those bombings. Much cross-party support has been indicated to us in advance of the motion and, indeed, in advance of previous motions in 2008, 2011 and 2016, all of which were unanimously adopted. Despite that, however, the unfortunate fact remains that to date no progress has been made in the search for truth and justice. Any progress which has been made has been largely due to the tenacious work of the victims' families and Justice for the Forgotten. The British Government has never been upfront or honest about the role that its intelligence services played in the conflict and, specifically, has refused to co-operate regarding the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. This is despite the efforts of Mr. Justice Henry Barron who conducted an inquiry into the atrocities and whose report, when considered by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, prompted that all-party committee to conclude that we were dealing with acts of international terrorism in which British security forces colluded. Everyone is entitled to truth and justice but the callous and cynical so-called legacy Bill in London, recently passed by Westminster, jeopardises that. The Taoiseach and the Irish Government should and must use every diplomatic tool at their disposal to encourage British co-operation at the United Nations, at various international forums and within the international media.