Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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162. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outstanding issues in relation to the lack of implementation regarding investigations in Northern Ireland into alleged State violence and murder; his views on progress in terms of the investigation of actions carried out by a gang (details supplied); the steps the UK Government should take in terms of investigating murders by the gang; the steps he has requested the UK Government to take in relation to same; the number of times he or his Department has raised the issue of alleged murders by the gang with the UK Government in the past five years; if the UK Government has failed in its responsibilities to investigate these murders; and the next steps he will take in relation to the murders. [3291/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The implementation of the Stormont House Agreement forms part of the Programme for Government, and it provides for a comprehensive and balanced framework to address the legacy of the past. The Government is continuing to work for the implementation of this framework, for all victims and families, including those impacted by the terrible acts of the Glenanne Gang.

The Government also continues to actively pursue the implementation of the all-Party Dáil motions which call on the British Government to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, as well as the Dublin bombings of 1972 and 1973, the bombing of Kay’s Tavern in Dundalk and the murder of Seamus Ludlow.

The Government welcomed the announcement by the PSNI on 30 November 2019 that former Chief Constable Jon Boutcher would head an Independent Police Team to conduct an analytical report on the Glenanne Gang series of cases. We are conscious that this work by Chief Constable Boutcher is very relevant to a number of cases of the utmost concern for victims’ families and survivors, both North and South, who suffered in the murderous attacks by the Glenanne Gang. It is to be hoped that the report being conducted by Chief Constable Boutcher will contribute to the long process of justice, truth and acknowledgement of what happened in these awful cases, where collusion is a feature.

Chief Constable Boutcher is conducting a police investigation, and as such will be in a position to seek the cooperation of the Gardaí through the framework of Mutual Legal Assistance, which underpins the excellent cooperation that exists between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI more broadly.

The Government will be supportive of facilitating this investigation, subject to the requirements of the law, as we have other investigative processes in Northern Ireland, in relation to the attacks conducted by the Glenanne Gang and of course other cases from the Troubles.

We will continue to engage with the British Government, as we have done at every opportunity on both a political and official level, to pursue all possible avenues to achieve progress on these issues and until a satisfactory resolution is found.