Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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42. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he raised last week in his discussions with the British Foreign Secretary the need for the British Government to respond positively and without further delay to the motions passed unanimously by Dáil Éireann requesting the British Government to release the papers and-or files pertaining to the Dublin/Monaghan bombings in 1974; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18447/14]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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43. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he raised last week in his discussions with the Northern Ireland Secretary of State the need for the British Government to respond positively and without further delay to the motions passed unanimously by Dáil Éireann requesting the British Government to release the papers and-or files pertaining to the Dublin/Monaghan bombings in 1974; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18448/14]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 43 together.

The 17th May this year will mark the fortieth anniversary of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. With 33 killed, that terrible day saw the highest number of casualties on any single day during the Troubles. It left a further 300 people injured.

The Taoiseach and I have reiterated our support for the all-party Dáil motions of July 2008 and May 2011 urging the British Government to hand over all original documents in their possession relating to the bombings. I met with Justice for the Forgottenmost recently on 26 March 2014 and confirmed the Government’s ongoing support. I welcome also the continued all-party support for their campaign on behalf of the Dublin/Monaghan families.

I have raised the matter of access to information related to the bombings with my ministerial counterparts in the British Government, including during a meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers MP on 31 March 2014. On that occasion the Secretary of State agreed that the British Government would reflect afresh on the Government’s request.

The Government will continue to pursue the issue at both ministerial and official level.