Figures who were prominent Republicans in the 1960s and 1970s have been asked to attend hearings of an Oireachtas sub-committee which is examining a report into bombings in Dublin in 1972 and 1973.
The chairman of the subcommittee of Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, Mr Seán Ardagh, said he was "not impressed at all" with the failure of the British authorities to co-operate with the subcommittee or with Mr Justice Henry Barron, who compiled the report.
"It is of particular regret that the British authorities did not co-operate with Mr Barron when he was writing his report, nor have co-operated as yet with us in our consideration of the report."
He noted that the British authorities had failed to respond positively to a request for a for- mal investigation under the Wes- ton Park protocol into allegations of British collusion in the Dublin-Monaghan bombings of 1974.
In proceedings beginning this morning, which will be broadcast live from on TG4, the committee will hear from relations of the three men killed in bomb attacks at Sackville Place in December 1972 and January 1973 and those injured in the attacks.
The sub-committee is also examining Mr Barron's finding that republican subversives "more likely than not" to have been responsible for a bomb attack on the Film Centre at Burgh Quay in November 1972.
It is understood that the president of Republican Sinn Féin, Mr Ruairí Ó Bradaigh, the former Workers' Party leader, Mr Tomas MacGiolla, and the former Workers' Party official, Mr SeáGarland, have been asked to attend hearings next week which will examine that attack. According to secret Garda records which were released in 1998, Mr Ó Bradaigh, Mr MacGiolla and Mr Garland were all members of the IRA army council in 1966. Mr Garland was described as "chief of staff" of the organisation in September of that year.
Mr Ardagh did not name the three individuals at a press conference yesterday but said he was hopeful that "people of a high profile" in Republican circles would assist the sub-committee.
He said the sub-committee will consider the context in which the bombings took place. It will also examine four other incidents, in Co Derry, Co Donegal and Co Cavan in 1972-73, in which six other people died and many others were injured.
