Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD, speaking in advance of the Taoiseach’s meeting with the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Downing Street, has called on the Taoiseach to press the case for a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane.
Teachta McDonald said, “In 2019, the Supreme Court in London declared that previous investigations commissioned by successive British governments into the murder of Pat Finucane by loyalists to have failed to meet the standards required by Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
“For decades now, Mrs. Geraldine Finucane and her family have led a dignified campaign for truth and justice, seeking a public inquiry into her late husband’s murder. They have rightly received strong support from Sinn Féin and the Irish Government in this regard.
“Regrettably, the British government has not adequately or sufficiently responded to that 2019 Supreme Court judgment, forcing Mrs. Finucane to fight a series of legal battles.
“In the latest case last week, the Court of Appeal set out a timetable for action, requiring the British government to respond within three weeks and agree to an Article 2 compliant investigation into Pat Finucane’s murder.
“I have written to the Taoiseach to urge him to raise the matter directly with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer when they meet today and to urgently press the case for a public inquiry to be held which is long overdue and decision time draws near.”
