Lord Empey: The pathetic NIO has not even raised the shock claim of an IRA garda agent claim with the Irish government

When allegations were recently made in the Dail by a Fianna Fail TD – Sean Haughey, the son of the former Taoiseach Charles Haughey — that the Chief of Staff of the Provisional IRA at the outbreak of the Troubles had been a Garda agent, I immediately submitted questions to the government.
By Alex Kane
Published 21st Oct 2020, 12:45 BST
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) may prefer to preserve its relationship with Dublin over IRA victims but the latter deserve to have these claims exploredThe Northern Ireland Office (NIO) may prefer to preserve its relationship with Dublin over IRA victims but the latter deserve to have these claims explored
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) may prefer to preserve its relationship with Dublin over IRA victims but the latter deserve to have these claims explored

These allegations are so far reaching in their implications that the pathetic answer has left me shocked.

In true NIO fashion, I am told, “the government have held no discussions with the Irish government on this matter. The government have made no assessment of these claims at this time”.

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As I have stated before, if the claims are true then it places a whole new slant on the early period of the Troubles and the growth of the Provisional IRA.

Questions are obviously raised as to what Dublin knew, what role it played and how many innocent lives may have been lost because of the activities of a Garda agent at the head of the Provisional IRA.

I can quite understand how certain vested interests — not least Dublin — might want this story to drop and for the media not to pay any attention, but the UK government cannot and will not be allowed to simply dismiss credible claims and very legitimate concerns.

The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) may not want to rock the boat and seek to preserve its relationship with Dublin over the interest of the thousands of innocent victims of the IRA, but the IRA’s victims deserve to have these allegations forensically explored.

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The very least the British government can do, is to make an assessment and raise this issue with the Dublin government as matter of extreme urgency.

My questions, tabled on September 24, were:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of claims made in the Irish Parliament on 22 September that the former chief of staff of the Provisional IRA was an informer for the Special Branch of the Garda in 1972; and what implications they consider these claims may have for relations with the government of Ireland. (HL8447)

And:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held, if any, with the government of Ireland about claims made in the Irish Parliament on 22 September that the former chief of staff of the Provisional IRA was an informer for the Special Branch of the Garda in 1972.

Viscount Younger of Leckie, NIO, answered on October 6.

“I can confirm that the Government have held no discussions with the Irish Government on this matter. The Government have made no assessment of these claims at this time.”

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Lord Empey, Former Ulster Unionist Party leader, Westminster

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Related topics:NIOIRA