Families of victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings last night called on the Government to act immediately on the Oireachtas committee recommendations and assure the co-operation of the British Government.
Members of the Justice for the Forgotten group, which represents the majority of families, said it was for the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to establish how the British government would co-operate.
Mr Greg O'Neill, solicitor, who spoke on the families behalf, said while they were disappointed that an immediate tribunal of inquiry had not been recommended, they called on the Government to immediately announce a firm timetable for action on the recommendations.
"If the committee's recommendation on the issue of collusion and on the appointment of an international judge is to make sense, then British co-operation must be assured," he said.
Describing the publication of the Oireachtas report as an absolutely unprecedented and unique event, he said it was now up to the Government to implement the recommendations speedily.
Mr O'Neill said 30 years had passed since the atrocity and they would not allow any further delays.
"If the British Government does refuse to co-operate then we must be told what action the Irish Government intends to take.
"Will the British Government be given a veto over the rights of the people of Ireland and over Irish Government action in its own territory? Will the Taoiseach stand side by side with the British prime minister and denounce terrorism while Britain refuses to have its actions in Ireland investigated?" he asked.
In that event, clearly the Irish Government must act on its own behalf in establishing a tribunal of inquiry. A failure to do so was an abdication of its minimum duties to protect its own citizens, Mr O'Neill said.
The Oireachtas committee recommended an international investigation, chaired by an international judge, into issues of collusion. It also recommended a independent commission to be established in this State to establish what happened to the Garda inquiry and missing files.
Mr O'Neill said the committee recommended the Commission of Inquiry under the new Commission of Inquiries Bill which was still not the law of the land.
"If the families are to be persuaded that this process of inquiry meets international human rights standards, then this Bill must be enacted without delay. And we call on the Government to move this Bill in the Oireachtas and pass that Bill," he said
They would have no truck with an inquiry which lacked international human rights inquiry standards, he said.
"We expect the Government to establish this inquiry speedily and we will engage with the Government to bring this about, but this matter must be resolved before the 34 inquests open in Dublin on April 27th," he said.
Ms Bernie McNally said they had written to the British embassy and the Taoiseach's Department last night seeking meetings to discuss how they could all proceed.
A separate group of relatives, who act independently of the Justice for the Forgotten Group and who represent the O'Brien and O'Neill families, issued a statement last night condemning the committee's report.
"These politicians had a chance to succeed where their predecessors had abysmally failed. They had the chance to right a dreadful wrong. Unfortunately, our present day politicians couldn't find the moral or legal courage to distinguish themselves from the wretched behaviour of their colleagues of days gone by," the statement said.
The relatives said the decision was irrational, unreasonable, procedurally improper, unjust and perverse. "If is left to us to continue our quest for something that cannot be compromised - the truth. If we have to do that via the courts, then so be it," the statement continued.
It also stated there was not the political will to do the right thing in the State, which remained subservient to the British.