All-party Dáil motion urges British Government to release Dublin and Monaghan bombings files to independent, international judge.

10th July 2008. We warmly welcome the passage, today, of the all-party Dáil motion on the issue of collusion and the Barron Reports.

The motion, which follows the Oireachtas debates on collusion held earlier this year, (see News below) particularly commended the work of Joint Oireachtas Sub-Committee, which enquired into and reported upon, the Barron Reports.

Most importantly, the motion urges the British government,

“to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents held by the British government relating to the atrocities…inquired into by Judge Barron.”

This cross-party statement is of vital importance in light of the fact that, as the Sub-Committee noted in their Final Report on the Reports of the Independent Commission of Inquiry,

“all of the Barron reports [were] frustrated by the absence of any real co-operation from the British security forces.”

Justice for the Forgotten has been lobbying hard for this motion since the Oireachtas 'debates' on collusion took place without the passage of any motion earlier this year.

We now call on the British government to act promptly on the Irish parliament's request and we look forward to the speedy appointment of an independent, international judicial figure, who is acceptable to both the Irish and British Governments.

The full motion reads as follows:

"That Dáil Éireann:

- notes the interim and final reports of the sub-Committee of the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights on the report of the
Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Dublin-Monaghan Bombings and the
three related Barron Reports, including the Inquiry into the Bombing of Kay's
Tavern, Dundalk, and commends the sub-Committee for its work;

- urges the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents held by the British Government relating to the atrocities that occurred in this jurisdiction and which were inquired into by Judge Barron, for the purposes of assessing said documents with the aim of assisting in the resolution of these
crimes; and

- directs the Clerk of the Dáil to communicate the text of this Resolution, together with copies of the aforementioned reports, to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with a request that the matter be considered by the House of Commons.”

For further information please contact:

Margaret Urwin, Justice for the Forgotten:

01 8554300 / 087 2237338