Letter: Victims of IRA should get chance to question Irish leaders, the way John Finucane questioned John Major

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Tom Elliott makes a very important point when he highlights the fact that John Finucane MP can question a former British prime minister John Major about possible collusion between British security forces and loyalist paramilitaries on the death of his father Pat Finucane (‘Will IRA victims get chance to question ex Taoiseachs?’, January 28).

As Tom Elliott rightly points out if John Finucane can be given this opportunity then why shouldn’t victims of IRA violence be given the opportunity to question Irish government prime ministers or ministers in their role over 30 years of allowing IRA members to escape freely into their country, failure to extradite convicted IRA members and at the start of the IRA campaign the role their government had with arming the IRA through former Prime Minister Charlie Haughey and Neil Blaney.

Another role victims must have is the right to question senior members of Sinn Fein about their knowledge of IRA murders as it was the opinion of successive British governments that both organisations were inextricably linked.

The former deputy first minister Martin McGuiness was the Northern Commander of the IRA and had operational knowledge of the Enniskillen bomb, according to all security sources so why this opportunity never granted to the families of the Enniskillen bomb?

Before unionist parties consider going back into government with Sinn Fein they should have this request at the top of their list and insist of the support of both British and Irish governments for this opportunity for victims of IRA violence.

Walter Millar, Cookstown, Co Tyrone