Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan and Chairman of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee Brendan Smith has expressed his frustration that 45 years after the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, the surviving victims and the families of those who died in the atrocity are still no nearer to getting justice.

Deputy Smith said, “Anniversaries bring back a lot of painful memories for people who lived through these dreadful attacks and for those who lost loved ones in the bombings.  Unfortunately, not only were their lives irrevocably changed, they are still having to fight for justice.

“I am deeply disappointed with the lack of engagement from the British government in establishing the truth of what happened on that dark day.  I, and many of my party colleagues, have raised the issue time and time again in the Dáil, but we have been stonewalled on every occasion.  Unanimous Dáil motions were passed in 2008, 2011 and 2016 calling on the British government to release the files relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, but we are still waiting.

“I raised the issue directly with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, and emphasised the importance of making these documents public.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families and I will continue to work to secure truth and justice for them, so that the perpetrators of these horrific attacks are brought to justice”, concluded Deputy Smith.