Benn to quiz Dublin over reports Irish government knew IRA explosives were 'routinely stolen' from Co Meath factory during Troubles
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has promised to raise with Dublin reports that explosives “routinely stolen” from a factory in the Republic were used by the IRA in a bombing campaign spanning more than two decades.
It has been alleged that British intelligence repeatedly raised concerns with the Irish government about the factory in Co Meath, but authorities in the Republic didn’t take any action.
Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Alex Burghart argued that Mr Benn would be “perfectly within his rights” to ask the Republic of Ireland to conduct a full public inquiry into the allegations.
Speaking during Northern Ireland questions in the House of Commons today, Mr Burghart said: “The Secretary of State will have seen reports in the Belfast Telegraph that, prior to 1985, a very large part of the gelignite used in IRA bombs was routinely stolen from a single factory in the Republic from Co Meath.
“The supply amounted to many tons of explosives, and it took the lives of many hundreds of people.
“At the time, British intelligence repeatedly raised concerns with Dublin. Nothing was done, despite the factory allegedly being in receipt of Irish state subsidy.
“Following these revelations, will the Secretary of State commit to writing to the Taoiseach to ask him to hold an urgent public inquiry into the explosives factory?”
He added: “This is an extraordinary missing piece of the puzzle in the story of the Troubles, in the story of how the IRA obtained weapons which killed people in our country.
“The Secretary of State is perfectly within his rights to raise this with his opposite numbers and to ask them to conduct a full public inquiry on behalf of the victims. Will he do so?”
Responding, Mr Benn said: “I undertake to the honourable gentleman and to the House, since he has raised the matter directly with me, to raise it with the Irish authorities, because they will have seen the exchange that he and I have just had.”
The minister added that one of the reasons for the Government’s Northern Ireland Troubles Bill is to facilitate cooperation with the Irish authorities “in relation to all of these matters”.
He said: “We cannot undo the past, but what we can do is to provide information for those whose lives were lost as a result of the use of those explosives by full co-operation taking place between the Irish authorities and the Legacy Commission. We require the Bill in order to make that happen.”
The Legacy Commission does not yet exist, but will be created if Labour’s overhaul of Troubles legacy issues comes to pass. The body essentially amounts to a reformed version of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery, which was set up by the Conservatives to probe legacy cases.
The Republic is suing the UK government in a human rights case brought about because of legacy issues, and has stated it will only drop the lawsuit if Labour’s overhaul meets with Dublin’s approval.
The Irish government has been approached for comment.