The Taoiseach has Committed to Meet with the Victims and Survivors of the Glenanne Gang
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD has raised in the Dáil today the crisis created by the Tory Party plan to create an amnesty for those who committed murder in the north of Ireland during the Troubles. He called on the government to meet with the victims and survivors of the Glenanne Gang at this crucial time and to use every legal tool possible to ensure that the British fulfil their commitments made in international treaties. He stated;
“Denise Mullen is an Aontu councillor in Mid Ulster. Forty-six years ago, the Glenanne gang murdered her father in her family home. Denise, then aged just four, discovered her father’s body. She was forced to stay with his remains for two hours because of fears of a booby trap bomb in the family home. Garfield Beattie was convicted for the murder of Denise’s father”.
“The Glenanne gang murdered 120 people mostly in Armagh and Tyrone. The gang included members of the RUC police and British army They were also responsible for the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. The Glenanne gang acted in consort with the forces of the British state”.
“Just in the last year Cllr Denise Mullen herself received a death threat from Garfield Beattie. This death threat was made in the name of the East Tyrone Brigade of the UVF. This is not ancient history. I have asked 3 Taoisigh in a row to meet with the victims and survivors of the Glenanne Gang. So far they have not done so. Enda Kenny and Leo Varadkar ignored the request. I welcome that Mícheál Martin has said that he will meet with survivors. But he said this a year ago. I understand that Covid prevented such meetings in the past. But thee is no excuse now. I am asking the Taoiseach to now fix a date and meet with the Survivors of the Glenanne Gang”.
“A meeting such as this is more important than ever as the British government seek to give an amnesty to perpetrators of this violence. I attended the 50th anniversary of the Ballymurphy Massacre in Belfast at the start of August. The key message by the campaign was that the British government seek to get away with murder. Literally the British Government are seeking to get away with murder”.
“I have asked the Taoiseach to unequivocally state that these amnesty efforts by the British Government are not acceptable and will not be allowed to happen. I have also asked the Taoiseach to use the full force of international law to force the British Government to fulfil their obligations in accordance with International treaties that they have signed”.
