By Paddy Clancy

THE report of an inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings 33 years ago has prompted calls from victims’ relatives for the resignation of serving cops found to have botched the Garda (police) probe into the atrocities.

The Justice for the Forgotten group claimed a two-year government commissioned report into the bombings was blocked by lost files or shoddy Garda records.

Legal advisor to the group Greg O’Neill, said, “Those who had responsibility in this area failed to know who they are. If this had happened in any other country, there would have been mass resignations by now.”

A total of 33 people died and 300 were injured when four car bombs, blamed on Loyalist paramilitaries, exploded in Dublin and Monaghan on May 17, 1974.

The coordinated attacks have been described as the biggest single act of mass murder in recent Irish history.

After years of pressure from the families of relatives, and public concern over rumors of collusion by British authorities, the Dublin government commissioned an investigation by eminent barrister Patrick McEntee.

His report, published on the day Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern and Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley exchanged an historic handshake, found a catalogue of failures by Gardai and the Department of Justice.

But McEntee also found no evidence that alleged British state collusion in the atrocities played a role in the subsequent winding down of the police inquiry.

He said he could not substantiate one of the key concerns of the families of the victims that pressure was brought to bear on Gardai to dump their investigation just three months after it began.

On Garda bungling, McEntee reported that missing files, lax procedures and lost evidence thwarted his inquiry. It was not possible to fully account for how many files were missing, lost or destroyed from the original police investigation.

Ahern said he would be calling a full debate in the Dail (Parliament) on the report and on the issue of collusion during the Troubles.

“Mr. McEntee’s report is a further step on the way to uncovering the truth of what happened on that terrible day in 1974 when so many people lost their lives or were injured,” Ahern said.

“The government has considered the findings carefully. Although they relate to a difficult period in the past and it is clear that there have been very significant improvements in recent years, the findings with regard to shortcomings and omissions are a matter of serious concern.”

He ordered a review of systems and procedures to be submitted to the government within three months.

Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for Justice Michael

McDowell rejected claims that his department and other state agencies held back crucial information from inquiries into the bombings.

“They have held back nothing whatsoever, so therefore I have to reject immediately the suggestion that state agencies are trying to hide the truth from anybody,” he said.