merrion street

The Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD said he was disappointed that the British government has not committed to holding a public inquiry into the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, as agreed between the British and Irish governments in 2001.

The Taoiseach met with Pat’s widow, Geraldine Finucane, and her son John last week. Following their meeting, he wrote to Prime Minister Johnson about the case. He also spoke with the Prime Minister by phone last Friday, to set out to him directly the compelling case for holding a public inquiry.

The decision today will come as a further blow to Geraldine and her family, who have been pursuing truth and justice for three decades with great dignity.

The Taoiseach noted that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland did not rule out a public inquiry taking place in the future. He added that the Government would reflect on the steps outlined by the British government today, but that it remained strongly of the view that a public inquiry was needed.

He noted that dealing more broadly with legacy issues from the Past was a shared challenge. In this context, delivering on prior commitments, however difficult, was important in terms of building public confidence and trust.