Ulster Unionist Justice spokesperson Tom Elliott MLA has asked the Republic of Ireland’s Justice Minister to investigate if the revelations that telephone conversations between Garda stations were recorded for decades, would have been of assistance to the Smithwick Tribunal.

Mr Elliott said;

“There has been a great deal of concern expressed at the revelations that Police Stations in the Irish Republic were recording telephone calls for decades.

“These revelations have far reaching implications for the conduct of the Garda and the justice system in the Republic, but I believe they also have a bearing on the conduct of the Smithwick Inquiry into the 1989 IRA murders of RUC Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan.

“The Smithwick Inquiry found that collusion took place between IRA terrorists and some members of the Garda. Indeed Judge Smithwick said that although there was “no smoking gun” he was satisfied that there was “collusion in the murders” and there was evidence that there was “someone in the Garda station who assisted the IRA.”

“The question must be asked of Alan Shatter, the Republic’s Justice Minister, just how many tapes are in existence of calls between Dundalk Garda Station and other stations in Drogheda, Monaghan and Dublin, which might hold information which would have assisted Judge Smithwick in his deliberations?

“It may well be that the full story of the Smithwick Inquiry has yet to be told. The Inquiry already had the potential to open up a Pandora’s Box and to lay bare the full story of the support and assistance the IRA received from authorities in the Republic to carry out their cowardly attacks. These telephone recordings could assist in that effort.”