Mounting anger over ‘Dublin collusion’
IRA men in Belfast in 1987. Their group claimed 1,778 lives during the Troubles
The DUP has accused the Irish government of reneging on pledges to answer questions about alleged collusion with the IRA.
And the party has made it clear that it will not agree a way forward on the past with the Northern Ireland Office until the Taoiseach’s office lives up to pledges said to have been made at the St Andrews talks in 2006.
The DUP demand comes amid mounting unionist anger at what they say is a one-sided approach to the past, with Britain blamed for the Troubles in which the IRA killed far more than any other group.
Last week Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said he would repeatedly insist Britain hold a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane.
But last night DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said: “The Irish government accepted at the St Andrews talks that any questions dealing with the past would not be exclusive to Northern Ireland.”
He said that if Britain apologies for people killed by its security forces and pursues Libya for arming the IRA “then why should people of influence in the Republic of Ireland not be held to account for their role in the Troubles?”.
Mr Donaldson added: “We have made it clear in our talks with the Northern Ireland Office that any process to deal with the past must include the Republic of Ireland involvement.”
The News Letter examines the various allegations, unionists highlight the Irish authorities’ attitudes to the Provisional IRA, including government sympathy for its formation, the later failure to extradite its terrorists and instances of individuals supporting IRA actions.
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
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