A tribunal set up to investigate allegations of Garda collusion in the murder of two of the most senior RUC officers killed in the Troubles held its first public session this week.
The Smithwick Tribunal is examining the circumstances surrounding the double murder of RUC Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan in 1989. They were ambushed by the IRA in South Armagh after returning to the North following a meeting with senior Gardai in Dundalk.
Last week, the Dáil backed a move by the justice minister, Alan Shatter, to impose a November deadline on the completion of its final report, which has sparked criticism from the lawyer representing the RUC men's families.
Now one of the North Commissioners for Victims and Survivors has expressed her concern over the deadline for a report from the Smithwick Tribunal.
Commissioner Patricia MacBride said a time limit must not impact upon the tribunal's independence and impartiality.She said the commission had "a duty" to review the effectiveness of law relating to victims and survivors of conflict.
"We have requested a meeting with the justice minister, Alan Shatter, and will be seeking from him assurances that resources to complete the tribunal's work are in place," McBride said.
The commissioner said the organization was "concerned that lack of resources and time limits could have the effect of undermining confidence in the inquiry" and it wanted to ensure this was not the case.
"These are difficult days for the Buchanan and Breen families, as indeed for many families seeking answers about the deaths of their loved ones, and we have a duty as a society to support them in their search," she said.
The tribunal, headed by Judge Peter Smithwick, was established in 2005 but did not begin its formal process until March 2006.
