Why are the Irish Government Soft on Standing up Against British Collusion? - Aontú
Aontú Cllr for Mid Ulster & Deputy Leader Denise Mullen has queried whether the Irish government is fearful of taking a strong stand for justice for victims of British collusion because it might detriment their relations with the British government.
Cllr Denise Mullen:
“Many of us who have been leading the fight for justice for survivors of the Troubles have been incredibly frustrated with the continuous failures of the Irish government. Our calls for actions are met with empty promises and no action. Only last night, a RTE programme attributed the failure of the Department of Justice to release information to families of the murdered children of Belturbet, to not wanting to impact the relationship of the Irish government with the Tories. Irish people are now being subject to a British veto over their fight for justice. How can the Irish government be more concerned with upsetting Boris Johnson, than dealing with the failures of British forces in Ireland to tackle loyalist paramilitaries or prosecute the crimes of the Glenanne gang?”
“The Irish government has given plenty of speeches but have done nothing to follow up and check the actions of the Tories who allowed their armed forces and colluding allies off the hook. This year alone, the Tories have passed a Bill which blows a hole in the Good Friday Agreement, refused to prosecute the perpetrators of Bloody Sunday and bucked their own Courts by refusing to investigate the role of British collusion in the murder of Pat Finucane. The Tories certainly aren’t afraid of upsetting the Irish people or undermining their relations with the Irish state, why then are so we afraid to pursue justice for the victims of British crimes and collusion?”
“Several months ago, the Taoiseach promised to meet with myself and the Glenanne families, but once again that promise has remained an empty one and we are left disappointed in our pursuit of justice once again.”