Holroyd was one of a number of former security force members who either exposed or admitted to such activity, the most prominent being Colin Wallace and John Weir.
Holroyd also claimed that during the mid-1970s the Special Air Service (SAS) used the cover name, "4 Field Survey Troop, Royal Engineers" during operations.
Fred Holroyd claimed this was an SAS unit working undercover at the Royal Engineers' base at Castledillon, County Armagh.
His attitude was to create a counter-terror group, to have agents provocateur, to infiltrate and to run a dirty tricks campaign in an attempt to discredit the IRA.
Members will know, was later murdered by the IRA, went into his office, fresh from a cross-border operation – something that of course is completely illegal – and showed him the colour photographs that had been taken by Captain Nairac's team.
When Captain Nairac showed the photographs, Mr Holroyd started to object, not because he objected to an active member of IRA being assassinated in a highly illegal cross-border raid, but because he realised that once the British state started to perpetrate such methods there was no way that eventually Britain would not alienate vast sections of the community and eventually lose the struggle for the hearts and minds of the Irish people.
[2]Livingstone also asked a series of questions in the parliament session about Holroyd's treatment following his allegations of collusion between the Intelligence Corps and loyalist paramilitaries.
[citation needed] Following the surfacing of these allegations Holroyd claims to have been forcibly retired from MI6 and placed in Netley Hospital, a military mental health institution.
Holroyd stated that "the bombings were part of a pattern of collusion between elements of the security forces in Northern Ireland and loyalist paramilitaries.
[6]When asked at a public hearing what he meant by "compromise source", Barron replied: There are many reports on him suggesting that he is a Walter Mitty type.
[7]In his official statement to the Oireachtas joint Committee, Barron stated: A number of Holroyd's allegations are not completely true, but they relate to events that did happen.
[8] Barron also stated in his Report, It must be said that when interviewed by the Inquiry [Holroyd] made no effort to avoid any questions asked of him; nor did he appear to be withholding information.
[9]In his report Barron found that members of the Garda Síochána (Republic of Ireland police force) and of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) attempted to unfairly and unjustly undermine the evidence and character of Holroyd.
[8] Justice Barron found: "The visit by Holroyd to Garda Headquarters unquestionably did take place, notwithstanding former Commissioner Garvey's inability to recall it".
Regrettably, Garda investigations have failed to uncover any documentary evidence of the visit, or to identify any of the officers involved in arranging it from the Southern side.