Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I apologise that the Minister for Justice cannot be here this morning. She has asked me to deal with the matter on her behalf.

First, I express the Government’s condolences and my own to the families whose loved ones were killed and to those who were injured in the terrible events of 17 May 1974. It is hard to believe that, on a day such as this almost 50 years ago, so many people going about their daily lives had those lives callously and brutally attacked and changed forever. The survivors and the families of the victims remain firm in their quest for justice and for information about what happened to their loved ones. Unfortunately, as with so many other incidents of violence on this island during the Troubles, they still seek the truth.

The Government is fully committed to seeking out the truth behind these events. We have worked consistently to implement the all-party motions adopted by the other House calling on the British Government to allow access to all relevant documents relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings and we continue to regularly raise this case with the British Government. Most recently, on 29 April, at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in London, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs raised the Dublin and Monaghan bombings with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, noting the upcoming 50th anniversary and emphasising the need for a considered response to progress this matter. The Government will continue to raise these bombings and the all-party motions with the British Government. The passage of a further motion by the other House last evening provided another opportunity to send a clear message to our counterparts in Westminster and to the British Government regarding the strong and enduring support for the victims and survivors in their pursuit of justice.

Senator Gallagher referred to reports due to be published on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. First, there is the report of Operation Denton. Operation Denton is a review being carried out by Operation Kenova that refers to a series of ongoing UK independent investigations or reviews into Northern Ireland legacy cases. In November 2019, it was announced that Operation Kenova was to carry out an independent analytical review into the Glennane gang, known as Operation Denton, and the terms of reference were agreed in February 2020. The Dublin and Monaghan bombings are included as one of the incidents within the remit of Operation Denton. A further report is to be published by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. The ombudsman investigation, entitled Operation Newham, is examining collusion with the Glennane gang and other activities by the Ulster Volunteer Force, UVF, in mid-Ulster. Operation Newham is an extremely broad-ranging investigation which has been ongoing for a number of years.

The Government is fully committed to assisting the families and finding the truth of what happened. For example, when a legal issue arose that would have prevented the provision of Garda material to Operation Denton, the Minister for Justice took extraordinary steps to put in place a bespoke mechanism to allow relevant information from An Garda Síochána be shared with Operation Denton. Subsequently, members of the Operation Denton team have been facilitated in accessing relevant records. The Government remains hopeful the Operation Kenova and Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland reports will be published in the coming months and provide more answers for all those affected by this terrible atrocity.