Kevin Winters

Paddy Askins, son of Patrick Askin, who was killed in the 1974 bombings, is challenging the Garda Commissioner and the Minister for Justice over their alleged failure to co-operate with the Police Ombudsman’s investigation.

The Police Ombudsman is in the final stages of preparing a thematic inquiry into wider allegations of collusion between the so-called Glennane Gang and British security forces in the mid-1970s.

Belfast-based KRW LAW LLP acts on behalf of families and survivors of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.

Solicitor Kevin Winters said: “It was bad enough for the families and survivors to learn that gardaí had failed to hand over intelligence files to PONI. However then to learn recently that in fact nothing at all had been transferred was very demoralising.

“It makes a mockery of all previous ministerial pontification about the Irish state cooperating with their northern counterparts to ensure transparency. Regrettably, there’s been nothing of the sort.

“It’s depressing that, after all this time, families have to traipse to court to force the Irish authorities to hand over files on the worst ever atrocity of the Troubles.

“Having done so, it’s very welcome that today the High Court made orders granting leave to take this case to the next stage.

“The systemic indifference to the plight of these families triggered judicial intervention against both the Garda commissioner and the justice minister.

“We now call upon the authorities to do the right thing on foot of today’s conceding leave and make those files available as soon as possible.

“Any continued failure to act on this only serves to fuel suspicion that the Irish as well as the British authorities are covering up collusion allegations.”

A separate civil action against the British government is at an advanced stage.