Ahern: Collusion report ready for publication
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said today that the report his Government received from Judge Peter Cory into allegations of collusion on both sides of the border was ready to be published.
The Government received two reports and the British government, four, following Judge Peter Cory's investigation into eight murders in six controversial cases involving alleged collusion between the security forces and paramilitary organisations.
The contents of the documents, submitted last month to both governments after 18 months of investigations, were due to be published simultaneously later this year.
But Mr Ahern said he was unsure whether the British government was ready to publish its side of the report, and said he would be asking the British Prime Minister Tony Blair next week.
“If their reports are not ready then we shall have to consider when we publish our report,” he said.
“But I know that I did promise that I would not only publish our report but get the British to publish their report as well so I will discuss that issue next week.
“Our work on the Cory report is effectively finished so we are ready to publish subject to that arrangement with the British.”
Arguments over the British government’s timing of publication of the report escalated recently.
Relatives of some of those murdered have pressed for early publication of the reports rather than the delay predicted by the British government.
Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy said he was determined for the truth to emerge and that he would undertake to publish the reports as soon as possible.
The guidelines given to both governments were to make alterations to the reports only to ensure that individuals’ privacy was protected and state security was maintained.
