A judicial inquiry into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings reached incorrect conclusions about the government's handling of the atrocity, former taoiseach Mr Garret FitzGerald told an Oireachtas committee today.
Mr FitzGerald, who was minister for foreign affairs at the time, said the report's author, Mr Justice Henry Barron, did not understand how governments worked.
He rejected the judge's finding that the Fine Gael/Labour coalition had lacked concern about the bombings which killed 33 people, and had failed to make all necessary efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
"I have found it difficult to see how he reached that conclusion," he said.
"It was not clear to me what he thought the government should have done that it did not do.
"The only issue I suppose was should the government have at some point tried to establish why the inquiries had not got any further or where were they getting to but that isn't really a function of government.
"There's a great sensitivity, or there should be, with politicians about interfering in the process of the police and for us to get involved in that, I would have hesitated about it if it had been raised.
"I was surprised Mr Justice Barron thought that was a function of government."
Mr FitzGerald told the Dail Justice Committee, which is considering the judge's report, that the mood of the cabinet in the aftermath of the bombings was sombre.
"The government was obviously horrified and deeply concerned about it but it would not be for the government to interfere in the activities of the police," he added.
Mr FitzGerald said there was no suspicion or discussion at government level at the time that the British security forces may have colluded with the loyalist bombers.
"I can recall nothing of the kind, even at a lower level," he said.
Mr Justice Barron criticised former taoiseach Mr Liam Cosgrave for not passing on information given to him by British prime minister Mr Harold Wilson at a meeting in London in 1974.
During the meeting Mr Wilson said a number of loyalists suspected of involvement in the bombings had been interned.
However, Mr FitzGerald insisted the government ran the risk of prejudicing inquiries and extradition proceedings if it became involved in police investigations.