A group representing the families of the victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in 1974 said this evening the evidence contained in the Barron report indicated that collusion between individuals in the North's security forces and loyalist paramiliaries was likely to have occured.
According to Justice for the Forgotten(JFF), by the criteria outlined earlier this year in the Stevens report into the murder of the solicitor Pat Finucane, there was no doubt that collusion had occoured.
However, the group was careful to distinguish between "systematic collusion" where there was clear evidence of security force involvement, and collusion as defined in the Stevens report, that involved the "the wilful failure to keep records, the absense of accountability, the withholding of intelligence and evidence and the extreme of agents being involved in murder."
It is clear from the report by Mr Justice Henry Barron which was published this afternoon that collusion as defined in the Stevens report had taken place, the group said.
JFF's most trenchant criticism arose from the findings in the report which indicated that the Garda Siochana had dragged their heels in investigating the bombings.
"The families, the dead, the wounded, the survivors, the children of the dead were grievously let down by the government of the day and by the police force in this country," Mr Greg O' Neill, solicitor for the families said.
"The absence of files from the Department of Justice is damning in the extreme and no sufficient explanation has been proffered.
"We are left with no choice but to draw the most negative inferences from the absence of these files.
" . . .The combination of incompetence and downright carelessness on the part of those charged with the protection of the citizens of Ireland is absolutely damanable."
The organistaion is now calling for the Government to instigate a public inquiry into the bombings and in particular to address questions that Mr Justice Barron's report posed.
While the report did not in itself answer any questions, Mr O' Neill added, the families now had a starting point to work from and it was now up to the Government to provide a public inquiry to resolve outstanding issues.
The Oireachtas Committee on Justice will have public hearings starting in late January on the report.
It will call witnesses who spoke to Mr Justice Barron, but Mr Sean Ardagh, chair of the committee said yesterday he was not expecting to unearth new evidence.
Justice for the Forgotten was formed in January 1996 with the aim of campaigning for a public inquiry into bombings in Dublin and Monaghan May 17, 1974.
Its membership includes the overwhelming majority of the bereaved families and many wounded survivors.