Geraldine Finucane will travel to the USA this weekend with her son John. With engagements in New York and Washington Geraldine Finucane will update US politicians and human rights organisations about the families concerns regarding the British Governments intentions to hold an inquiry into the murder of her husband Pat Finucane under the controversial Inquiries Act 2005.

Meetings have been arranged with Congressman James Walsh, chairperson of the Friends of Ireland group in Congress and other US congressional members, US envoy Mitchel Reiss and Senator Hillary Clinton. Geraldine Finucane and her son will be guests of the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the Ireland Fund Gala in Washington and will attend a US congressional hearing on Capitol Hill on policing chaired by US Congressman Chris Smith.

Speaking before travelling to the USA Geraldine Finucane said; ” I am looking forward to this trip to update everyone of our serious concerns about the British Governments failure to set up the type of inquiry recommended by Judge Peter Cory and to implement Judge Cory’s recommendations as agreed at the Weston Park talks. The British Government is in flagrant breach of its commitments given at the Weston Park talks and it stands alone and indicted before the international community.

Over the last number of months we have held meetings with many political and ecumenical leaders and each and everyone of them have supported the family’s position regarding the British Governments failure to honour its commitments.

This week the Irish parliament fully gave its support with an all party motion being passed in the Dail, stating that the failure to hold a public inquiry as quickly as reasonably possible could be seen as a denial of the agreement at Weston Park and demanded that the British Government immediately establish an inquiry as recommended by Judge Cory.

I intend to build on this support in Europe and on my visit to the USA and I am very pleased that the Irish Government is assisting me to do so by arranging meetings on Capitol Hill and a possible opportunity to meet with President Bush.”