Des O'Malley, Was Minister for Justice in 1970
The chances there was an attempt to suppress evidence during the Arms Trial are remote, the Dáil has been told. However, the Minister for Justice said that a definitive conclusion about the events of 1970 might never be reached, as a number of key participants are now dead. John O'Donoghue said that some important documents are missing.
The Dáil agreed today to publish some documents on the Arms Crisis, which have remained secret for almost 30 years. The debate over the crisis was re-ignited in April by a Prime Time programme, which claimed that a vital witness statement had been tampered with.
An inquiry into the trial by Minister O'Donoghue, with the help of the Gardaí and the Attorney General, found no evidence to prove that evidence was deliberately suppressed, although it could not be ruled out definitively. He said that it was impossible to reach definitive conclusions, given that some crucial documents are missing, a fact criticised by the Opposition.
One of the central figures in the controversy, former Justice Minister Des O'Malley, claimed vindication and attacked the way the issue had been raised by Prime Time. Mr O'Donoghue told the Dáil that history might have to be the judge of the Arms Crisis. While the Dáil agreed to publish some of those documents, witnesses who were promised confidentiality will not be identified.
The Dáil Public Accounts Committee undertook an extensive investigation into how money intended for the relief of distress in Northern Ireland was actually spent. At the centre of the Arms Crisis was the allegation that some of this money was diverted to buy guns to defend Northern Nationalists.
For almost 29 years, confidential documents relating to this inquiry were stored in the basement of Leinster House. The Prime Time programme claimed that a trial statement by the former head of military intelligence, Colonel Michael Hefferon, had been tampered with.
