The Government is to set up a commission of inquiry to examine the Garda investigation into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974 after considering the final report of the Oireachtas committee which examined the Barron report.
In a statement this evening, the Government said it has agreed, in principle, to the establishment of a commmission to look at the Garda investigation and the subsequent disappearance of files relating to the bombings.
"The Government also agreed to pursue, with the British government, the establishment of a Weston Park-style inquiry into the bombings," the statement said.
The terms of reference and establishment procedures for the commission will be brought to Government in the near future, it added. It is expected these terms of reference will come before Cabinet in September.
Thirty-four people were killed in the worst atrocity of the Troubles when three car bombs exploded in Dublin and another in Monaghan on May 17th, 1974. Hundreds were injured.
In its examination of the issues raised by the Barron report on the bombings, a sub-committee of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice said the probability of British security force collusion with the UVF bombers responsible for the attacks was "exceptionally high".
The committee said a public inquiry in Britain was the only meaningful way of reaching definitive conclusions about the extent of any collusion.
It also called on the Government to initiate separate public inquiries into the loss of the Garda security files on the attack and the winding down of the Garda investigation in 1974.
In his own evidence to the committee earlier this year, Mr Justice Henry Barron defended his assertion that the Government in 1974 could have done more to help further the investigation into the bombings.
His remarks followed the rejection of major elements of his report by Dr Garret FitzGerald, Mr Paddy Cooney and Dr Conor Cruise O'Brien, who were ministers at the time.
Mr Justice Barron also said the disappearance of the Garda intelligence file on the bombings and the failure of the British authorities to provide original intelligence information had hampered his work.
The Labour Party's justice spokesman, Mr Joe Costello, welcomed the Government announcement.
"As a member of the Oireachtas committee which drew up these proposals, I am pleased that the Government has seen fit to establish an enquiry into the Garda investigation of the bombings as well as the missing Department of Justice and Garda files on the matter," he said.
"I also welcome the initial steps taken by the Irish Government to pursue the British government to establish a further enquiry into the bombings in Great Britain/Northern Ireland.
"I would now encourage the Government to give every available resource to this enquiry to ensure that the perpetrators of these horrific crimes are brought to justice."