Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín has today confirmed that the party will seek to re-introduce its Bill to create a Commission of Investigation into British state force collusion during the Troubles in the new Dáil.
Speaking earlier, the Meath West TD said:
“We introduced the Commission of Investigation (Collusion of British State Forces) Bill in 2023 to provide for a public inquiry into collusion between British State forces and other groups and individuals between 1968 and 1998. It had passed through its first stage in the Dáil.
The inquiry would investigate where the British state either committed murder, assisted in the committing of murder or prevented prosecution of certain serious offences in Ireland north and south.
We feel that the context for this commission of inquiry is still extremely relevant today, with former justice Minster Charlie Flanagan commenting this week in relation to the Omagh bombing, that the Republic should have held a parallel inquiry into that atrocity and that the public may now not see vital evidence held by the State because of it.
Victims and survivors are entitled to know who did what, and who should be held responsible. Aontú’s Bill, if passed would institute an investigation to find the answers to these questions.
We know that British state forces had a role to play in many cases in the North that resulted in the loss of life, with many cases then covered up.
We want to shine a light on these cases for victims and survivors and put in place a dedicated framework that would see the truth come out and justice be done.
We are calling on all parties in the Dáil to commit to passing this crucial piece of legislation as expeditiously as possible in the coming months.”
