Deputy Seán Crowe TD, one of Sinn Féin’s representatives on the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, has broadly welcomed the support of the Dáil Committee to write to the family of the late Pat Finucane and invite them to make a formal submission in the wake of the controversial de Silva report into the killing of the Belfast based solicitor.

Deputy Séan Crowe said:

“I broadly welcome the decision of the Good Friday Implementation Committee to formally write to the Finucane family and invite them to meet the committee next year and tell their harrowing story.

“Many of us share deep concern over the de Silva report into the collusion and murder of Belfast based Solicitor Pat Finucane and the refusal of the British Government to hold a public inquiry.

“The British Government gave a solemn commitment at Weston Park in 2001 that they would hold a public inquiry into the Finucane murder. Their refusal to do so compounds the deep hurt and anguish of the Finucane family.

“The Finucane family have shown incredible strength and perseverance in their fight to uncover the truth behind Pat’s assassination.

“The de Silva report does not give us any new insight into what is common knowledge that British state agents colluded with loyalist death squads to have Pat Finucane murdered. The findings of this report do not diminish the need for a full public inquiry and in fact enhances the need for such an inquiry in order to uncover all the facts surrounding the British state’s collusion with loyalists and the direct involvement of senior political figures in this case.

“The Finucane case has the potential to uncover the dirty war that the British government and its security apparatus were up to their bloody necks in.

“The British supplied weaponry, intelligence files, operations training, safe passage, colluded in killings of innocent catholics and others, provided passive and direct political cover for loyalists paramilitaries to operate during the long conflict and allowed the murder of Pat Finucane to go ahead despite warnings.

“That in my opinion is the sole reason, not any alleged cost of an inquiry, behind the reluctance of the British Prime Minister David Cameron and his government to follow through on their Weston Park commitment for a full sworn public inquiry.”