Page 1221 - Week 04 - Thursday, 17 March 2005

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Michael McDowell, suddenly reversed decades of tradition and publicly named the leaders of the IRA. This followed a long and hesitant involvement in the affairs of the IRA in Northern Ireland and of undermining Sinn Fein’s political power in the British held Ulster province.

The Republic of Ireland has had enough of the IRA, and not before time, more than ever since its apparent involvement in a multimillion pound armed robbery of an Australian-owned bank. Whilst minister McDowell has a well-known history of taking tough stances against the IRA, this is not the modern descendant of the rebel organisation. It is not really a descendant; it is an organisation that has been hijacked by those who have brought much of this on.

Following the death of Robert McCartney in January, justice minister McDowell came out and condemned the Provisional IRA’s offer to shoot four people whom it believes responsible for the murder of the Belfast man. The republican movement, both the IRA and Sinn Fein, has been in crisis since this father of two was stabbed to death after a row in a Belfast pub—

MR SPEAKER: Order! The time for the debate has expired.

The Assembly adjourned at 5.55 pm until Tuesday, 5 April 2005, at 10.30 am.

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