Report on Operation Kenova: Statements
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-11
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Matt Carthy (SF), Cavan-Monaghan

The Irish Government supported the establishment of a historical investigations unit under the Stormont House Agreement in 2014 and legislated for co-operation in 2019. That unit was never delivered. Instead, the British Government introduced the shameful legacy Act, rejected by victims and widely criticised. If this State recognised the need for historical investigative units in the North, it cannot credibly argue against establishing an independent, time-bound unit here. Seeking truth about Dublin-Monaghan, John Francis Green, the Dublin Airport bombing, the bombings in Castleblayney, Belturbet and elsewhere, The Widow Scallan's and other attacks - this is not about reopening wounds. Those wounds have never healed because the truth was withheld. Justice was not unavailable; it was deferred and denied. The Kenova report has stripped away many of the old excuses. No one can now claim that collusion is speculative. No one can pretend obstruction was accidental. After Kenova, ignorance is no longer plausible. The only question left is whether there is the will to act. Maybe the Taoiseach would like to take the remaining minute of my time to answer that question. Is the will to act there right now?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-11/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:02+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-11