THE Government is to collect all new evidence and information about the circumstances surrounding Bloody Sunday and give it to the British government.
A spokesman last night confirmed that the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, in a telephone conversation yesterday also told the British Prime Minister, Mr Major, of his concern at the British government's proposed delay in setting up the parades commission.
Urging Mr Major to shorten the two month consultations on the commission proposed in the North review of parades and marches, the Taoiseach also advocated legislation to give effect to the North report.
During their 15 minute conversation, Mr Bruton told Mr Major his Government would assemble whatever new evidence is available on the Bloody Sunday killings 25 years ago.
It is understood that information will be drawn from the Channel Four programme on the British army's role; the recent book edited by Mr Don Mullan Eyewitness Bloody Sunday; and the testimony of Dr Raymond McClean, who was in Derry on January 30th, 1972, but whose evidence was not taken on board in the Widgery Inquiry.
Mr Major told Mr Bruton that if there was new information he would look at it. The leaders also reviewed the multi party talks.
Bloody Sunday and the North report will also be raised next week by the Tanaiste, Mr Spring at an informal meeting with the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, on the margins of the talks in Belfast.
Meanwhile, the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, said last night on a visit to Kerry that the British government would "sooner or later have to face up to the implications of Bloody Sunday, just as they had eventually to accept that the Birmingham Six and Guildford Four had been wrongfully convicted. Where the state has been in breach of the rule of law, it must hasten, however late in the day it may be, to repair the breach," he said.
The other immediate priority was to find a way of averting any repetition of the troubles of last year's marching season. While a parades commission as an arbitration body would be a useful step, it was "anomalous" that its determination could be binding on both communities but not on the RUC or British government, "who could change it at short notice", Mr Ahern said.
He urged the British government to introduce legislation to implement the North report.
Accusing the British government of "cowardly cave ins" to unionists over parades, the Progressive' Democrats leader, Ms Mary Harney, said it should appoint a parades commission at once "to replace the RUC as the body empowered to decide on disputed routes in the North".
"The fragile peace process in the North cannot sustain another Drumcree. Yet the British government, in announcing a further eight weeks of consultation on the commission proposal, has made a repeat of last year's events more likely," Ms Harney added.