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The Taoiseach has expressed disappointment after the British government decided not to order a public inquiry into the murder of lawyer Pat Finucane.
icheál Martin said he was “disappointed that the British government has not committed to conducting a public inquiry into the murder of Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane, as agreed between the British and Irish governments in 2001.”
The Taoiseach met with Mr. Finucane’s widow Geraldine and her son John last week.
After this meeting, Mr. Martin wrote to Prime Minister Johnson about the case.
Mr. Martin also spoke with Johnson during a phone call last Friday, to make “the compelling case for public investigation,” a statement from the Taoiseach said.
“Today’s decision will be a further blow to Geraldine and her family, who have been seeking truth and justice for three decades with great dignity,” said Martin.
He added that the Government “would reflect on the steps outlined today by the British Government, but that it remained firmly of the opinion that a public inquiry was needed.”
Finucane’s son Michael said his family is “disappointed” but “not surprised” by the British government’s decision.
Speaking after a virtual call with the Secretary of Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, Michael said: “I think we were quite angry and exasperated by the Secretary of State’s conclusion on the matter because he proposed that the case would be resolved through an investigation carried out cape”. carried out by local police in Northern Ireland.
“I don’t think anyone, looking at the evidence in this case and the agencies involved, would propose with any degree of credibility that this could be handled by local law enforcement.”
He said the proposal is “inappropriate.”
Outstanding issues before the Police Ombudsman’s Office regarding the original police investigations should be addressed first, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) said.
There could also be a review of the case by officers early next year, most likely carried out by a force from outside Northern Ireland.
Finucane, 39, was shot and killed at his family home in North Belfast in February 1989 by the Ulster Defense Association (UDA) in an attack that was found to involve collusion with the state.
Foreign Minister Simon Coveney expressed the Irish government’s disappointment with the decision.
He said that “it has been the firm and consistent position of the Irish government that only a full and independent public inquiry, as provided for in the Weston Park settlement in 2001, would provide a satisfactory outcome for this case.
“We are disappointed that the opportunity was not taken today to launch such an investigation without further delay.
“However, we note that the Secretary of State has not ruled out such an investigation.”
Mr. Coveney added: “In a case like this, where the Prime Minister [David] Cameron acknowledged that there were ‘shocking levels of collusion’, there is an undeniable responsibility of the state to do everything possible to restore public trust through a process that fully complies with relevant international standards and obligations of effectiveness, independence and transparency. ” .
He said he told Lewis about the government’s disappointment and “made it clear” that it remains the Irish position that “only through a full and independent public inquiry will a satisfactory resolution be found for this case.”
Mr. Coveney said, “We will study the detail of the Secretary of State’s announcement in its entirety.
“We will also ask to meet again with the Finucane family to hear their perspective and concerns. Then we will be more engaged with the UK government on this case.”
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