Thursday, December 01, 2005
Ahern criticised over OTRs
I'm pleased to see the Opposition parties taking the Taoiseach to task on the issue of the On-The-Run legislation which will provide an amnesty for IRA terrorists and British State forces who murdered Irish civilians."Rather than dragging the presidency down a route of dubious constitutionality, we should have made arrangements for these persons to attend before a court to proclaim their guilt and to be released on licence which could be revoked if under unfortunate circumstances could be revoked. A presidential pardon is irreversible and irrevocable," said Fine Gael's Enda Kenny.
"It seems to me that Article 13.6 of the Constitution has never been interpreted and this does present dubious constitutional consequences."
"It seems that proceeding along this route will result in Aras an Uachtarain being turned into some sort of court of Queen Elizabeth."
Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte accused Mr Ahern of opting for the presidential pardon mechanism for OTRs because he didn't want to risk public outrage if the killers of Det Garda Jerry McCabe were included.
"You couldn't bring in a piece of legislation before this House that excluded the killers of Jerry McCabe and that is why we are in this position," Mr Rabbitte said.
"If you look at the outrage at the legislation in the House of Commons running right across from the DUP to the SDLP, you can't defend it.
"We have these people getting off scot-free and we're not inviting people here to hide for as long as they can hide, but if at any stage down the road in ten or 15 years' time they're caught, then they have an insurance policy they can resort to," Mr Rabbitte added.
Well done to the Opposition! Bertie Ahern is risking the popular support his party enjoys by backing this disgraceful legislation which protects criminals.
In related news, Relatives for Justice, the Pat Finucane Centre and Justice For the Forgotten, which represent the families of people killed as a result of alleged collusion between members of the security forces and loyalist paramilitaries, called on British Secretary of State Peter Hain to rethink the fugitive law.
Bertie Ahern, Tony Blair, Peter Hain, you are faced with a simple choice.
Do you cater to the families who had to put up with this and this?
Or do you cater to people like this and this?
The world is watching...
# posted by United Irelander @ 1:36 AM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
