Chairperson's address on the occasion of the 35th Anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings

18th May 2009. We are gathered here today to mark the 35th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, which occurred on the 17th May 1974, causing the greatest loss of life in the entire history of the Northern conflict.

We are very conscious today of all the members of our organisation who are, sadly, unable to join us here - those who have passed away and those who are too ill or infirm to attend. Due to the dedication of so many bereaved families and survivors, our campaign for truth and justice has been able to continue and flourish for the best part of two decades, and despite our success in uncovering a substantial body of information about the perpetrators and the circumstances surrounding the bombings, many questions still remain unanswered.

Earlier this year, the Eames/Bradley report was published, which recommended that a Legacy Commission be established to deal with the past. The Legacy Commision was broadly welcomed by several victims' groups, including Justice for the Forgotten. We believe that this proposal has great potential. However, if the Commission is to have any chance of success, it is absolutely essential for the Irish government to be involved from the outset as equal partners with the British Government. The major flaw in the consultation process was that the British Government alone established the Consultative Group on the Past, while the Irish Government was excluded.

If the authority of the Commission were to be vested solely in the hands of the British Government, this would run totally counter to the bi-national aproach that has underpinned and legitimised the entire peace process and the Good Friday Agreement. Joint legislation needs to be enacted by both Governments, mandating the establishment of the Legacy Commission, and providing for the appointment of an independent, international Commissioner to oversee the project, as well as other suitably qualified appointees from both jurisdicitons. The British Government has announced that it expects to make a decision in September on whether to proceed with the recommendation - therefore, it is vitally important that the Irish Government engage with them in the intervening period in order to ensure that the bi-national approach is maintained.

At this stage of our campaign, we believe this to be the best way to access information and to resolve the outstanding issues in relation, not only to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, but also to all the cross-Border bombings of the 1970s.

For further information please contact:

Margaret Urwin, Justice for the Forgotten:

01 8554300 / 087 2237338