PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT TD Richard Boyd Barrett has said families of the victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings were subject to garda surveillance in the early 90s.

Speaking in the Dáil this morning during oral questions to Justice Minister Helen McEntee, Boyd Barrett said families were “put under garda surveillance… for years”.

He said this began when “families put up a memorial in the Garden of Remembrance” in Dublin in 1991.

On 17 May 1974, 35 people were killed by three no-warning bombs in Dublin city centre and a fourth in Monaghan town.

No one has ever been convicted over the bombings that have been blamed on loyalist paramilitaries.

“Where are the files about who ordered that [garda surveillance]; was it the government, was it the guards?” asked Boyd Barret.

“Where are the files in terms of the monitoring of the families of the victims of the Dublin Monaghan bombings?

“In the answer I get from you, basically, you say, ‘that’s an operational matter for gardai’.

“Are you seriously suggesting that that’s an acceptable answer to the question about why the families of the victims were put under garda surveillance when they started to campaign for truth and justice?”

In response, McEntee said: “I know in many of your questions you’ve sought information as to why garda files cannot be given to the families and why any garda files relating to this case at all cannot be given to the families.

“This is an open case, this is still an open file, and this is information that the gardaí have relating to an ongoing case.

“If there is an open file and an ongoing investigation, if gardaí have information relating to that, it’s not something that can ever be released, it’s not something that will ever be provided to the families.”

She noted that information has been provided to previous inquiries and that gardaí are “actively engaging with Operation Kenova and Denton”.

Operation Kenova is an independent investigation into activities of a British agent codenamed Stakeknife, who has been widely named as Freddie Scappaticci.

Meanwhile, Operation Denton is examining allegations relating to the activities of the so-called Glenanne Gang, including its role in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.

“As a government, we will do everything that we can to continue to work with gardaí and our UK counterparts and overall to continue to work with the families to try and find answers,” added McEntee. 

However, Boyd Barrett said this response “sounds like the families are never going to be given the files, never going to be given an explanation or the truth and justice that they deserve”.

“It is shocking beyond belief that families and survivors of this atrocity were put under garda surveillance,” said Boyd Barrett.

He added: “They are entitled to know who ordered that, what files were generated on foot of it, and why was that done.”

“It stinks to high heaven that the Irish state isn’t being open and transparent about the decisions the gardaí took,” said Boyd Barrett.

McEntee replied that “gardai are engaging” and that “information is being provided and they are co-operating”.

“I appreciate from the point of view of the families, the disappointment of not being able to access certain information,” said McEntee.

“But when you have a file that’s open, that’s ongoing, irrespective of the case, you cannot provide information that might prejudice an ongoing case.

“I cannot stress how regrettable it is that nobody has been held accountable, but we must continue to work in whatever way that we can to try and change that.”

In a statement to The Journal, a garda spokesperson said the force “does not comment on remarks by third-parties” and that it is not the policy of gardaí to “make detailed public comment on ongoing investigations such as this one”.

The spokesperson said An Garda Síochána “always takes the concerns of all victims seriously, ensuring all victims are treated with dignity and respect”.

It was also remarked by the spokesperson that gardaí will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the bombings of Dublin and Monaghan to identify and hold those responsible to account for their criminality.