No inquiry into IRA atrocity

Gerry Adams (centre) at an IRA funeral in the 70s

There will be no government inquiry into the La Mon hotel bombing, the Northern Ireland Office has said.

Minister Des Browne has rejected a call from a Democratic Unionist MP for a full independent investigation into the 1978 atrocity.

The party's Strangford MP, Iris Robinson, said Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams had been involved in the IRA bombing.

She used parliamentary privilege to make the claim in the House of Commons on Thursday.

I have to say that the government has no plans to establish a public inquiry into the tragedy at La Mon House

Des Browne
NIO minister

Gerry Adams has rejected the claim.

Mrs Robinson told MPs the police were certain the attack was sanctioned and approved by him.

Twelve people attending a function at La Mon died in the IRA attack at the hotel on the eastern outskirts of Belfast in February 1978.

Responding to Mrs Robinson's call for an inquiry, Des Browne said he understood her argument but the government had no plans to establish an inquiry.

Mr Browne said he recalled the La Mon outrage with sorrow and revulsion.

"At this time, when there is talk of acts of completion and discussion, it is imperative that those who are involved in those discussions give the victims of violence their rightful place and as far as I am concerned that will be done," he said.

"I have to say that the government has no plans to establish a public inquiry into the tragedy at La Mon House."

Mrs Robinson said that a full independent inquiry should now be held.

"The government's policy in Northern Ireland is to place in government those who represent the organisation that carried out this attack," said the Democratic Unionist MP.

I believe that the victims of La Mon cannot simply put this chapter behind them until such times as they obtain answers to their questions

Iris Robinson
DUP MP

"More than that the distinct possibility is that a candidate for one of the top government posts after the next election will be the man who was arrested by the police during their investigation into this bombing and who is known to have control over the team responsible for this outrage and carnage."

She added: "I believe that the victims of La Mon cannot simply put this chapter behind them until such times as they obtain answers to their questions.

"There should be no cover-ups and no-one should be above the law.

"The police are certain that this attack was sanctioned and approved by Gerald Adams who was then in command of those who are known to have carried it out."

Mr Adams said the remarks were made to deflect attention away from developments in the Stevens Inquiry into alleged collusion between the security forces and loyalist paramilitaries.

"There is no truth whatever in the accusation made by (Mrs) Robinson," he said.

"It is no coincidence that in the day the Stevens Inquiry announced the most important development in recent years into the investigation of collusion, and in particular of (murdered Belfast solicitor) Pat Finucane's death, Robinson engages in this piece of theatrics."