THE GOVERNMENT will begin moves next week to wind down the Smithwick tribunal by the end of the year despite its first substantive public hearings not beginning until next month.
The Cabinet, at its weekly meeting yesterday, decided to make certain amendments to the order establishing the tribunal, essentially compelling the tribunal to produce an interim report by the end of June and a final report by the end of November this year.
The inquiry, under former District Court president Peter Smithwick, was set up in 2005, to investigate if there was Garda collusion in the IRA murder of two senior RUC officers, Chief Supt Harry Breen and Supt Robert Buchanan, in 1989 near Jonesboro, Co Armagh. They were returning from a meeting with senior gardaí in Dundalk.
The tribunal began an investigative phase in early 2006. Although an original opening statement and two brief hearings were held shortly afterwards, no evidence has yet been heard in public. Nor has the tribunal published an interim report to date. The cost of the tribunal to date has been €8 million.
A spokesman said last night the Government will ask the tribunal to produce an interim report by June 30th this year and it will give the tribunal until November 30th to produce a final report. Given that public hearings of evidence are not due to start until next month, the move will be seen as a clear signal that the Government wants to truncate the process.
Asked was this a sign that the Government was losing patience with the inquiry, which has been ongoing for almost six years, the Government spokesman said that it seemed to be the case.
Earlier this month the tribunal granted legal representation to seven individuals and bodies ahead of the public hearings next month. They include the alleged British agent Freddie Scappaticci, also known as “Stakeknife”.
The tribunal is due to resume sittings on June 7th when an opening statement from Judge Smithwick will be heard, followed by evidence being heard two days later.
A spokeswoman for Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said last night that the Government believed it was reasonable to receive an interim report on the work the tribunal has done to date. “A motion [to give effect to the Government decision] will be tabled in the Dáil next week,” she said.
The tribunal was set up following an earlier and wider investigation into collusion north and south of the Border, conducted by Canadian judge Peter Cory.
In the Dáil last year, Fine Gael, then in opposition, criticised the rising costs of the Smithwick tribunal, the fact that only two brief public hearings had been held, and the lack of information from the tribunal as to how its inquiry was progressing.
A Government source expressed concern yesterday that to date in excess of €8 million had been spent. The June 30th deadline for an interim report has been taken as a clear signal the Government wants the inquiry to bring its work to an end as quickly as possible.
The tribunal could not be contacted yesterday evening.
