'Some names to be blocked' in Barron report

Some names will have to be blocked out of a report into one of the biggest atrocities of the Northern Ireland Troubles to ensure their safety before it can be published, Bertie Ahern said today.

The long-awaited Barron report on terrorist bombings in Dublin and Monaghan on the same night almost 30 years ago, was presented to the Taoiseach last month and it is due to be handed to a joint Dublin parliamentary justice committee, expected to authorise its publication within weeks.

But the Taoiseach said today he was just waiting for a decision to be made regarding the protection of certain people named in the report.

“I am very anxious that we can issue this report very quickly, it’s one I have controlled myself and had a lot of involvement in,” said Mr Ahern.

“Justice Baron gave me a letter about his concerns about some of the names being used and that is my only concern.

“The obvious issue arises here about the safety of the individuals mentioned, that’s really what the issue is.”

Mr Ahern said some of the names will probably have to be blocked out in some form although he did not want to block out all the names in the report as “there would be no point.”

He said he may provide the names to the committee in some other way.

“I don’t feel like holding them back and I don’t see why I should,” he said.

“But I am in consultation on the issue.”

High Court judge Mr Justice Henry Barron is also expected to deliver a separate report on the Dublin bombings of December, 1972 and January, 1973 shortly.

The Barron report was due to have been completed more than a year ago, but its preparation was frustrated by an alleged lack of co-operation on the part of the British authorities.

The inquiry was established to examine a range of issues, including claims of collusion between members of the British security forces and the Ulster Volunteer Force loyalist bombers responsible for the attacks.

The Dublin bombs on May 17, 1974, killed 26 people in three streets, including a pregnant woman.

The Monaghan bomb on the same day killed seven people.