O'Loan report deeply disturbing - Ahern

The Taoiseach today described the report from the North's Police Ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan, on security force collusion as "deeply…

The Taoiseach today described the report from the North's Police Ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan, on security force collusion as "deeply disturbing" and said its findings "are of the utmost gravity".

"Over many years, successive Irish governments, and many others, raised serious concerns about collusion in Northern Ireland. This report demonstrates that these concerns were well-founded. It presents clear evidence that the RUC colluded with loyalist murderers and failed in their duty to prevent many horrific crimes," he said.

Mr Ahern praised Raymond McCord's determination to find the truth about his son's, Raymond Junior, murder in the 1990s.

"I applaud his single-minded determination and courage which helped ensure that the truth would be told and these grievous failures brought to light in a comprehensive and detailed way," said the Taoiseach.

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Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said the report was a "shocking exposé of the activities of loyalist paramilitaries and their relationship with the RUC Special Branch".

He said the reports findings were a "vindication of those who over many years have sought to expose these dreadful events.

"The Ombudsman has found that RUC officers colluded in crimes by their failure to tackle the most serious activities of their informants - including murder. Clearly, elements of the RUC Special Branch had lost all moral compass at that time.

"Who now could doubt that there was a need for a new beginning to policing in Northern Ireland, as called for in the Good Friday Agreement and brought about through the implementation of the Patten Report? By failing to protect its citizens in such a way, the State failed in one of its primary duties," the Minister said.

Fine Gael leader and spokesman on Northern Ireland Enda Kenny said the report highlights the possibility of other examples of "unacceptable practices" yet to be uncovered.

"These findings also call into serious question the failure of the British Government to cooperate with the Barron Inquiry which has been investigating a large number of earlier allegations of collusion in murderers perpetrated in this State," Mr Kenny said.

Mr Justice Henry Barron was appointed to examine alleged British security force collusion in the loyalist bombings of Dublin and Monaghan in 1974. He said in the report published in 2004, that he had not received co-operation from the British government in his work.

Mr Kenny called on the Taoisaech to raise the matter with Mr Blair as a matter of urgency.

Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said the findings were not unexpected and more revelations were likely in the future.

"As yet more cases of state collusion with paramilitaries emerge, those responsible for murder must be held to account, including those who have held senior positions and their political masters, where tacit political approval is found," Mr Sargent said.