The British government's review of the evidence of Bloody Sunday is likely to lead to a major public re-examination of the events of that day, Irish diplomatic sources here have predicted. Both Irish and British spokesmen went out of their way to deny reports that the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, would shortly issue an apology for the 14 men who died.
Following a brief bilateral meeting at the Council of Europe summit with Mr Blair, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, stressed that the Government had not specifically sought an apology. It had submitted to the British a "detailed memo of all the evidence, new and old, on the basis that they would examine it all and report back".
He said the issue was just mentioned at yesterday's meeting but he was satisfied a review was under way. "I don't think they are delaying," he said. Mr Ahern said he was in close contact with the relatives of those who died and that their wish was to see a thorough public re-examination of the killings.
Following the announcement by Mr Blair that Britain will shortly produce a Bill to incorporate into British law the European Convention on Human Rights, Mr Ahern said he did not believe Ireland needed to follow this example. Human rights provisions were already enshrined in the Constitution in a way that was not so in Britain, he said.
The issue had been reviewed by the Whitaker Group on the Constitution whose recommendation had been that only a few specific provisions needed to be incorporated, Mr Ahern said. That report was now going through parliamentary review where it could be looked at again.
Following the British decision, Ireland will be alone among EU states not to have incorporated the convention.
Mr Ahern said that talks with Mr Blair were a routine updating of each side on the progress made in the Northern Ireland talks. He said he had expressed the satisfaction of the Government at the rate of progress made since September.
