An inquiry into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings will be completed next month, the Government said today.
The Cabinet approved a sixth time extension to the Commission of Investigation led by barrister Paddy MacEntee.
Mr MacEntee (70), who was chosen to lead the inquiry in April last year, is examining the Garda investigation and missing files relating to the May 1974 atrocities in Dublin and Monaghan which claimed 33 lives and injured hundreds of others.
Barrister Paddy MacEntee
Mr MacEntee said in an interim report published today that the Commission has completed its investigation of each of the issues in its terms of reference.
"The Commission is also satisfied that it has obtained evidence, documentation and information relevant to each of the individual areas of investigation.
"The Commission has assembled in its archive a significant amount of relevant security and intelligence material from various sources.
"The identification, sourcing, obtaining and assessment of this sensitive material by the Commission has been a very time-consuming aspect of the investigation."
Mr MacEntee had been due to report to the Government by midnight last night but has now been granted the extension until Monday, December 11th when it will be presented to the Taoiseach.
The Dail heard last week that the inquiry has cost €1.8 million to date — well below the expense of a tribunal.
The Commission of Investigation, which was set up under new legislation, is the first such inquiry of its kind.