The Government is to establish a commission for victims of violence similar to that in Northern Ireland. A former Tanaiste, Mr John Wilson of Fianna Fail, has been asked to chair it.
This was announced yesterday following a meeting in Dublin between the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, the former head of the Civil Service in Northern Ireland, who recently published a report on the victims of violence there.
Mr Ahern said afterwards that the Government would appoint a commission in the Republic similar to that established in the North.
The commission would hold discussions with all the surviving victims of violence in the Republic which had a Northern perspective. This would include bombings in Dundalk, Dublin and Monaghan.
The work would be carried out over the remainder of this year, the Taoiseach added, as soon as the terms of reference were sorted out between the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, and the proposed chairman.
Asked about the possibility of Garda files being given to relatives of the victims of the Dublin bombings, Mr Ahern replied that, insofar as his own investigations had been concerned, what was on record was unfortunately not of any great assistance to the families.
Sir Kenneth Bloomfield had done a slightly different job which, he thought, was very useful to the relatives, and they should engage in a similar exercise here.
Asked to comment on reports that loyalists were going to abandon their protests outside the Catholic Church in Harryville, Mr Ahern said he was delighted if that was the case. Anything which deescalated tension, particularly in the run-up to the marching season, was very helpful.