Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit as teacht go dtí an Teach ar maidin. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil a lán oibre le déanamh aige. Gabhaim buíochas leis as a bheith anseo chun caint linn faoin ábhar iontach tábhachtach seo do na daoine as Contae Mhuineacháin agus Baile Átha Cliath.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House this morning to discuss this important issue. Today, 17 May, marks the 47th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. Each year, we gather here to discuss this issue but, unfortunately, there is little or no progress or forward movement for the victims, survivors and their families. Some 34 people lost their lives in Monaghan and Dublin on that fatal day. It was the greatest loss of life on a single day during the Troubles.As the anniversary occurs again today, our thoughts and our prayers are with the victims and their families. It is difficult and frustrating to try to understand how, 47 years on, we are no wiser as to the role of the British state or who was responsible for this tragedy in which 33 people lost their lives, seven in County Monaghan and 26 in Dublin. We can only imagine the pain and grief the families continue to endure over this period. That pain is compounded by the absence, for more than four decades, of the truth of what actually happened on 17 May 1974.

I pay tribute to all those who have worked through the years to lift the lid on this mystery. I acknowledge the huge work done by the Justice for the Forgotten group, as well as everything that has been done by Members of the Oireachtas to move this issue forward. Despite all of this, we are no closer to a resolution. The families' quest for truth and justice has been blocked in every quarter and largely ignored.

The British Government must make all documents relating to this atrocity available. It is imperative that both Governments work together to deliver a structure that can manage the legacy of the past in a way that can positively contribute to reconciliation on this island in the future. Unilateral action is unacceptable. I call on the Government to reinvigorate our efforts, on behalf of the people of this country, especially those of Monaghan and Dublin, to request the British Government to release the papers in order that these families can finally bring closure to this and put the memories of their loved ones to rest.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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The Government stands in solidarity with all those impacted by the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. Some 33 people were murdered and hundreds seriously injured on that awful day in 1974, which was the highest number of casualties in any single day during the Troubles. We will continue to seek the full truth of these appalling attacks, as well as some measure of closure for the victims' families and survivors, in accordance with the three motions passed unanimously by Dáil Éireann to date.

The all-party motion on the 1974 Dublin-Monaghan bombings that was adopted by the Dáil on 25 May 2016, like those adopted in 2008 and 2011, calls on the British Government to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. The motions also ask the British Government to provide access to original documents relating to the Dublin bombings of 1972 and 1973, the bombing of Kay’s Tavern in Dundalk, and the murder of Seamus Ludlow.

The Government is committed to actively pursuing the implementation of these all-party Dáil motions. We have consistently raised the issue with the British Government, including at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. We have also raised the Dublin-Monaghan bombings and the need for access to all original documents during regular engagements with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the British Prime Minister. The Government will continue to engage with the British Government on this request, at senior political level and in official level engagement by my Department, to pursue all possible avenues to achieve progress on this issue until a resolution is found.

Importantly, the Government has also welcomed the announcement by the PSNI on 30 November 2019 that former Bedfordshire chief constable, Jon Boutcher, is heading an independent police team to conduct an analytical report on collusion in what has become known as the Glenanne gang series of cases. This is relevant to several cases including the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. The former chief constable has been in regular contact with the Garda Commissioner regarding his investigation, as well as with the Dublin-Monaghan families. This is a potentially significant development and one which I know the families have strongly welcomed.The Government will be supportive of facilitating this investigation subject to the requirements of the law as there are other investigative processes in Northern Ireland. The families, like so many across this island who have suffered great loss during the Troubles, have been waiting far too long. It is appropriate to recall the powerful findings of the inquest last week into the deaths of ten people in Ballymurphy in 1971. It shows that truth can still be brought to light, even decades later. Some injustices can be corrected for the world to see. We look forward to the day when the families of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, and other terrible days, will see days like last Tuesday in the Coroner's Court in Belfast.

Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. The events last week in regard to Ballymurphy give us all hope. I am sure the people of Monaghan and Dublin who were following the developments last week in regard to Ballymurphy, which occurred in 1971, are, perhaps, hopeful that their day too might be coming. I urge the Minister of State and the Government to do all they can, as I know they will, to ensure these families can finally get closure. Forty-seven years have passed and a lot of these people are not getting any younger and they would like closure while they are still here to witness it.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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I have taken note of the Senator's remarks, particularly in regard to the passage of time. The Government will continue to engage with the British Government to secure the implementation of the all-party Oireachtas motions on the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. Our position on the Dublin-Monaghan bombings is consistent with our approach to the legacy of the Troubles more broadly. Every family bereaved in the conflict should have access to an effective investigation and a process of justice regardless of the perpetrator. To achieve this requires a collective approach. We have set out this approach in the Stormont House Agreement. Progress on implementing a framework that is consistent with the agreement is critical to ensuring that these issues are dealt with comprehensively and fairly, and in a way that meets the needs of the victims and survivors, as well as society as a whole.

I again thank the Senator for raising the matter.