Ahern urged to agree Troubles motion

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was today urged to agree to an all-party Dáil motion endorsing the various reports which probed violent atrocities in the North.

It comes just over a week after politicians held the first debate on shootings and other incidents such as the 1974 Dublin Monaghan Bombings which killed 34 people in one day.

The Labour Party said the only way the findings of the Barron Report and the Oireachtas Committee on Justice could be properly considered was through a comprehensive motion adopting them.

The party’s human rights spokesman, Joe Costello, said: “I believe that the best way to acknowledge the work done by Mr Justice Barron and the Committee would be through an agreed all party motion, based on the various recommendations made.

“There is a precedent for such an approach in the all party motion passed by the Dáil on March 8, 2006 calling for a full and independent inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane.

“You will recall that shortly after the motion was passed, the British government agreed to act.

“An all party motion based on the recommendations of the various Joint Committee reports would be a powerful expression of the will of the Irish people that the pursuit of the truth, in regard to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings and other similar atrocities within this jurisdiction, should continue,” he said.

Victims of collusion-linked atrocities from the Troubles era were granted a long-awaited debate in the Dáil on January 30 and 31.

The Taoiseach gave a commitment to hold the debate following recommendations in a 2006 report by an Oireachtas Justice Committee inquiry.

Members of Justice for the Forgotten group and bereaved families and survivors of other collusion-linked atrocities attended the event, along with senior members of the Consultative Group on the Past.

A draft Labour motion calls on Mr Ahern to renew his efforts to secure British government agreement to appoint a judge to examine the reports.

It also states both governments must ensure relevant witnesses are made available for interview.

In addition it calls for the Speaker of the House of Commons to be informed when the motion is passed and for the reports and relevant documents to be forwarded to the House for its consideration.

“I hope that the Taoiseach will agree in principle to a motion along the lines I have drafted and I would, of course, be willing to consider any suggestions that he or the other party leaders would have in terms of the wording,” Mr Costello added.

“The survivors and relatives of these atrocities have been relentless in their commitment to finding out the truth.

“They deserve our support.”