Report into bombings to be published
A report into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings is to be published without delay, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said today.
The long-awaited Barron report on the 1974 Dublin/Monaghan bombings was being presented to the Taoiseach tonight and will be studied by the Government before it is made public.
Mr Ahern said it would be published once it had been brought before the Cabinet.
He said: “I intend to bring it to the Cabinet very quickly, if not next week maybe the week after and then we will release it.
“We are not going to delay it for any length of time.”
Asked whether he thought anything would prevent the report from being released, such as security issues, Mr Ahern replied: “No, I don’t think so.
“I don’t suspect that there will be anything of a security nature. We’ll just have to check that, there might be names that we would have to look at.”
The report will address allegations that the British security services colluded with the attackers – or at least had foreknowledge of the bombs.
Mr Justice Barron’s independent investigation into the bombings was originally expected a year ago.
Margaret Urwin, spokeswoman for victims’ group Justice for the Forgotten, welcomed Mr Ahern’s comments.
She said: “I think it is very positive that the Taoiseach has said that. We would be very happy with that time scale.
“Certainly the report will go some way to redressing the wrong that was done, but we will be continuing our demands for a public tribunal of inquiry.
“We are all still committed to going forward to that.
“I think there is an issue of public accountability for our members. They really want to see this happen in public.”
Inquests recently reopened into the deaths of the 26 people who died when two car bombs exploded in central Dublin and seven who died when another bomb exploded in the border town of Monaghan.
Both inquests were adjourned until all evidence has been gathered.
