Kenny to raise British and loyalist collusion with Cameron, Dail told

Reported collusion between British forces and loyalist paramilitaries is to be discussed at a meeting between the Taoiseach and the British prime minister in London, the Dáil was told.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said he expected Enda Kenny and David Cameron would discuss the concerns raised on the issue.

He was replying to questions from Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and Fianna Fáil foreign affairs spokesman Brendan Smith on Collusion, the RTÉ television documentary broadcast on Monday.

Mr Flanagan said the documentary presented a shocking account of allegations spanning over three decades.

He said successive Irish governments had raised the issue with the British government and this would continue. There were cases of long-standing concern, such as the Dublin-Monaghan bombings and the case of the late solicitor Pat Finucane.

Mr Flanagan added that he had raised both those cases on a number of occasions with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers and had done so again since she was reappointed to that office a few weeks ago.

Mr Flanagan said he would not dispute anything said by Mr Adams and Mr Smith on the issue.

“The wounds inflicted by collusion, which threaten to destroy trust in the State’s most fundamental responsibility, namely, protecting its citizens, are deep and slow to heal,’’ he added.

He said cases like the Dublin-Monaghan bombings must be addressed in a meaningful way if a genuinely reconciled society was to be achieved.

Mr Flanagan said a judicial review hearing in the High Court in Belfast was pending on the Pat Finucane case.