Blair under pressure to set up probe into bombings

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair will today come under intense pressure to initiate a judicial inquiry into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings.

The Oireachtas Justice Committee yesterday recommended that a public inquiry in the North provided the "best opportunity of being successful" in determining the identity of the perpetrators and the truth or otherwise of allegations of collusion.

The novel recommendations incorporating inquiries in the South and North came as a surprise to many observers but were broadly welcomed by the main victims' group, Justice for the Forgotten.

This morning, as his Government finally makes public the Cory Report into four cases of alleged collusion in the North, Mr Blair will announce he is setting up full public inquiries.

The model recommended by the Oireachtas justice committee for the inquiries calls for wide powers similar to those given to retired Canadian judge Peter Cory when inquiring into the murders of Pat Finucane, Rosemary Nelson, Robert Hamill and Billy Wright.

Judge Henry Barron, whose inquiry into the 1974 bombings formed the basis of the committee hearings, disclosed that the British Government had made only a tiny number of potentially millions of relevant documents available.

He nevertheless found that collusion was not a "fanciful" theory, a view shared by committee chairman Sean Ardagh yesterday.

The committee concluded that a tribunal in the South would be the preferred form of inquiry, but said it would have caused immense "legal and procedural difficulties".

Mr Ardagh also said he had no doubt Taoiseach Bertie Ahern would urge Mr Blair to set up the inquiry in the North or Britain.

"The interest that the Taoiseach has shown to date is certain to be followed up," he said last night.

He added that today's publication of the Cory Report and the concurrent announcement of public inquiries represented a window of opportunity for Mr Blair.

If the British Government fails to set up an inquiry, the committee goes on to say, the Irish Government should take a case to the European Court of Human Rights.

It also recommends two separate commissions of investigation should be set up here. They will inquire into why the garda investigations were wound down after only six weeks and to inquire into missing files.

The Justice for the Forgotten group said legislation for the inquiries should be in place by the end of April, when inquests will begin in Dublin into the atrocities.

Greg O'Neill, the group's solicitor, called on the Government to immediately enact a timetable of action.

"British co-operation must be assured or the recommendations made today are entirely redundant. We expect the Government to establish this inquiry speedily," he said.

Mr Ahern welcomed the report, saying it made considerable progress into finding the truth.