Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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106. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when she intends to honour her commitment to the survivors and the families of victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings to release all files relating to the bombings, including the reports furnished by the officers of the special detective unit which was tasked with monitoring those campaigners for justice and truth in relation to the bombings, most particularly, such reports for the year 1993; to disclose the orders issued to the Special Detective Unit sanctioning this surveillance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25815/24]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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107. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to release the files which were created on foot of the surveillance of Dublin and Monaghan bombing campaigners; to explain the justification for the deployment of State resources to undertake surveillance of the families and campaigners; to provide the identities of those who ordered the surveillance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25816/24]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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108. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to release all Garda files furnished to her Department and the relevant Government subcommittee that dealt with security matters relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in 1974. [25817/24]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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109. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will outline, in light of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings taking place within 14 months of the closure of the investigations into the Sackville Place bombings of 1972/1973, the reason the Garda investigations into the Sackville Place bombings of 1972/1973 were closed down after seven weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25819/24]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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110. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to release all the Garda files and all files relating to the Sackville Place bombings of 1972/1973. [25820/24]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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111. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason the investigative files related to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings that were provided to the McEntee report were never released to the families of the victims of the bombings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25821/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 106, 107, 108, 109, 110 and 111 together.

Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974. On 17 May Government representatives joined with the families of the victims and survivors at commemorative events to remember that terrible day.

It is deeply regrettable that, to date, no person has been made amenable for these barbaric attacks or for the Sackville Place bombings of 1972/1973. The Garda investigation files into these bombings and the murders that took place remain open. Any new evidence that comes to light, from whatever source, will be pursued by An Garda Síochána.

The Government is fully committed to seeking out the truth behind these appalling events and, hopefully, to secure some measure of comfort for the victims’ families and the survivors.

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 relevant documents relating to a series of bombings, including the bombings of 1972, 1973 and 1974, is a priority and I can assure the Deputy that the Government continues to regularly raise the matter with the British Government, most recently, at the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference in London on 29 April last.

The Deputy’s question relates to access to files relating to the bombings and the aftermath. There are many instances where records related to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings can and have been made available. Departmental and Garda records were released to the Barron and MacEntee Inquiries. More recently, An Garda Síochána has provided access to records related to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings to the ongoing independent UK Kenova review, Operation Denton, which concerns allegations of collusion with the Glennane Gang. This assistance has been acknowledged, most recently by Sir Iain Livingstone, the head of Kenova, who referenced the high level of cooperation received from An Garda Síochána and the ongoing support of the Irish Government.

Decisions on the release of Garda files are, of course, an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner.

As stated earlier, the bombings of Dublin and Monaghan in 1974 and the Sackville Place bombings of 1972/1973 remain open investigations for An Garda Síochána and in these circumstances, I have been advised that it would not be appropriate to release any investigative material or intelligence as to do so could compromise the investigation. An Garda Síochána are continuing to engage with Operation Denton and anything that emerges from that review will be considered in the context of these open investigations.

An Garda Síochána remains committed to investigating all acts of terrorism and always takes the concerns of victims seriously. Records are released where it is appropriate and legally permissible to do so taking into consideration the rights of victims.

I can assure the Deputy of my continuing commitment to supporting An Garda Síochána in pursuing this work and would call on any person who has any information in relation to the bombings, to make contact with An Garda Síochána.

Finally, the Deputy raises alleged surveillance by members of An Garda Síochána. The conduct of surveillance is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner in which I, as Minister, have no role. Any concerns in relation to such activities should be raised with the relevant statutory authorities charged with investigating allegations of wrong doing by Gardaí.