Don’t Let Blair Get Away with 
“Cover-Up” Over Collusion

By Mark Durkan, MLA

"Collusion is a cancer that eats into public confidence in the justice system. It is only when governments face it head on that confidence can be restored.

"Judge Cory’s conclusion that there may have been collusion by elements in the Gardaí in the murder of RUC officers Breen and Buchanan will startle many. That is why it is so important that the Irish government has quickly agreed to establish a public inquiry.

"The contrast with British government could not be more stark. Nine weeks have passed since Judge Cory delivered his report. Time and time again, the British government has delayed publication. Worse, at our meeting with Tony Blair yesterday he was unable give any idea of when the report would be published. 

"The SDLP does not accept the delays in publishing the report. There is no way that Judge Cory would have written his report in a way that would have endangered lives.

"Above all, there is no reason why the British government cannot let the families know immediately what the judge has recommended. If the British government does not do this straight away, then the SDLP would fully back Judge Cory doing so. The families must not be left in the dark over Christmas. And Tony Blair must not get away with covering up the truth and messing around with the Cory report."

Urging full cooperation into the inquiry into the murder of Breen and Buchanan, Durkan added:

"The inquiry into the murder of Breen and Buchanan will only get to the truth if everybody cooperates with it. The fact that the British government is behaving disgracefully and trying to cover up is no excuse for others to do the same.

"The republican movement is in a position to provide a wealth of information about the murders of Breen and Buchanan. It is vital that they do so. Just as Tony Blair should not be allowed to bury the truth, it would be unacceptable if the IRA tried to do so through so-called "codes of honor".
 
 

Welcoming the Irish government’s commitment to hold a public inquiry into collusion, SDLP Leader Mark Durkan made the above statement on Dec. 18, 2003.