Work on the inquiry into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings began on Monday, according to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern. He said the former chief justice, Mr Justice Hamilton, who is conducting the inquiry, was "going to go at this as near to full time as possible, to see it through".

During Taoiseach's questions, Mr Ahern said he hoped the report would be ready for the summer so that the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality and Women's Rights could deal with it in September. However, Mr Justice Hamilton had first to assess the volume of his task and then give proposals on timing for completion of the report.

He said legal advisers for the Justice for the Forgotten group, the families of those killed and injured in the bombings, met officials at the Taoiseach's Department on Monday and the "precise terms of reference for the inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings will be settled very shortly".

The Labour party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, who said he first made the suggestion for such an inquiry, suggested that it would be "both a discipline and a requirement that the former chief justice would have set for him, by the Taoiseach, a specific timetable for a definitive report, although not necessarily the final report? Otherwise, credibility and support for this process will be seriously undermined."

Mr Ahern said he could not "tie the hands" of the former chief justice but Mr Justice Hamilton intended to give the matter a great deal of time and to make an assessment as quickly as possible.

Mr Tony Gregory (Ind, Dublin Central) asked when the formal terms of reference would be ready.

The Taoiseach said they were working towards a thorough examination.

He said this would "include the facts, circumstances, cause and perpetrators of the bombings; the nature, adequacy and extent of the Garda investigations; the adequacy of co-operation with and from relevant authorities in Northern Ireland; the adequacy of the scientific analysis of forensic evidence; and the reasons no prosecution took place, including if the investigations were impeded and if so by whom and to what extent".

Fine Gael's justice spokesman, Mr Jim Higgins, called for the inclusion of the Sackville Place bomb. "The victims' relatives feel very aggrieved that they rank in the realms of the forgotten."

Mr Ahern said other cases had been brought to his attention. He understood why they were being raised and he did not have a closed mind about including them.

He told Mr Austin Currie (FG, Dublin West) he was assured the former chief justice would have full access to the relevant files and papers in Government Departments and the Garda.