British Government's stonewalling over Dublin Monaghan bombings requests "unacceptable" - Smith

Unanimous votes in Dáil sought British to open bomb files to independent legal expert

A Cavan-Monaghan TD has branded the British Government's stone-walling of requests for the Dublin and Monaghan bombings files as "simply unacceptable".

The British Government has not responded to the Irish parliament's "legitimate and unanimous" requests for an independent legal expert to be given access to the files.

Deputy Brendan Smith was speaking ahead of today's 49th anniversary of the bombings which murdered 33 people and injured hundreds more on May 17, 1974. In a coordinated attack, three bombs exploded at rush hour in Dublin City and one at a pub in Monaghan.

“Very regrettably nobody has been brought to justice for those heinous crimes,” said the Fianna Fáil TD.

TDs unanimously passed motions in 2008, 2011, and 2016 calling on the British Government to give an independent international legal expert access to the files.

"The non-response of the British Government to the legitimate and unanimous requests of a neighbouring sovereign jurisdiction is simply unacceptable," Deputy Smith told the Dáil.

"We all know the possibility of getting prosecutions is extremely limited but the least the families deserve is the truth about who carried out those atrocities.”

Deputy Smith urged the Taoiseach to raise this “very important” matter with the British Prime Minister and other British Government members.

“Legacy issues must be dealt with and no amnesty should ever be provided for perpetrators of despicable crimes as proposed by the British Government through its recent legislation,” Deputy Smith added.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, in response, informed Deputy Smith he had raised the issue of legacy and the Irish Government’s “opposition to the British Government’s proposals” during a meeting with the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Belfast two weeks ago.

“I met him briefly over the weekend but did not have the chance to talk to him in depth but I will certainly continue to press the case against the legacy Bill,” Mr Varadkar said.

“The next time we have a chance to meet, I will specifically raise the issue of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.”