No decision has been made about whether to hold a public inquiry into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings, but the Dáil may have an initial debate next week on the Barron inquiry report.
The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, told the opposition yesterday that she would discuss with the Government chief whip whether it was appropriate to have a Dáil debate before the Christmas recess next week on the findings of the report.
Questioned about the possibility of a public inquiry, she said: "I do not want to rule anything in or out at the moment", but she added that the issue of the disappearance in the early 1980s of Department of Justice files on the bombings should be addressed to the Minister for Justice, as she was not aware of all the facts. The files were missing in the 1980s "so they have been missing for some time."
Ms Harney described the bombings as "unspeakable and cowardly acts against humanity" in which 33 people died including a pregnant woman, and many more were injured. She said the Government was always willing to meet the victims' families, and the Government was "very anxious" to see what recommendations would come from the Justice Committee, which had the report.
She called for widespread participation in the committee's consideration of the 288-page document, which found little interest by the government of the day in pursuing the perpetrators of the most devastating attack on the Republic's civilian population since the Troubles started.
The report was also heavily critical of the Garda's investigation and of the lack of co-operation by the British government. However, the report found that evidence did not exist to support charges that the North's security authorities colluded with loyalist paramilitaries in the bombings.
Mr Joe Higgins (Socialist, Dublin West) called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the disappearance from the Department of Justice of crucial files linked to the bombings and demanded that the Minister for Justice make a comprehensive statement about the disappearance of files. The investigation should consider whether the files could be recovered to facilitate further inquiries into the atrocities.
Fine Gael's deputy leader, Mr Richard Bruton, said the report brought back unremitting pain for the victims' families. It also raised important questions and shortcomings about the way in which the follow-up inquiry was handled.
"It leaves the unmistakable impression that forces outside of the paramilitary groups may have been at work and have not yet been brought to account," he said.
The Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said: "Our citizens would expect no less than that the Dáil would have an initial debate after members had an opportunity to consider the findings, terms and context of the report. More importantly, members should consider the report in the environment that obtained in the country in 1974."
Mr John Gormley (Green, Dublin South East) who echoed the call for a pre-Christmas debate, said many of the victims' families were disappointed with the report and he asked if the Government still had an open mind about holding a public inquiry.
Mr Martin Ferris (SF, Kerry North) said it was evident from the report that there was an indication of British state collusion in the issue. Sinn Féin had continually called for a public inquiry, he said.
"The people of Monaghan and Dublin, the victims of this terrible atrocity, deserve a full public inquiry into what happened on that date," he said.
"This House needs to send a loud and clear message that nothing else will suffice or do justice for the families of the victims of that atrocity on which there is very substantial evidence of British state involvement."
