Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill calling on Dublin to block UK legacy bill is ‘is nauseating’ says victims group SEFF

​​Sinn Fein has been accused of having a “brass neck” after calling on the Irish government to consider legal action against the UK legacy bill.
Kenny Donaldson of the South East Fermanagh Foundation says Sinn Fein has "a brass neck" for calling on the Irish Government to block the UK's legacy bill.Kenny Donaldson of the South East Fermanagh Foundation says Sinn Fein has "a brass neck" for calling on the Irish Government to block the UK's legacy bill.
Kenny Donaldson of the South East Fermanagh Foundation says Sinn Fein has "a brass neck" for calling on the Irish Government to block the UK's legacy bill.
By Philip Bradfield
Published 28th Aug 2023, 19:08 BST
Updated 28th Aug 2023, 19:10 BST

​On Sunday Vice President Michell O’Neill said the sole purpose of the bill is to "conceal the truth and protect British state forces". If the UK doesn’t withdraw it, she said, “the Irish government should confront this denial of human rights through an interstate case and international action against the British government”.

However victims campaigner Kenny Donaldson of the South East Fermanagh Foundation – who also opposes the bill - responded that “Sinn Fein “truly have a brass neck”.

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He added: “This is the same organisation whose personnel refused to cooperate with a number of inquiries on the basis of their oath to the Provisional IRA.“This is the same organisation whose representatives have stated that over 1,800 people who wanted to live had no right to, and that there was no alternative but for their murder or death”.“Sinn Fein speaking about human rights in the context of the Troubles is nauseating, the Provisional movement to which it connects was responsible for gross human rights violations against our people; Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter.

“And the Irish Government to which it appeals should intervene has also systematically failed to account for its role over the years of the terrorist campaign and wider Troubles.”

Solicitor John McBurney, who represents some of the Omagh Bomb families, also said Dublin has no authority to take such action, after refusing to conduct a public inquiry into the 1998 Omagh Bombing.

He said: “Whatever the merits of any such legal action, it seems incongruous and hypocritical that on the one hand the Irish Government would want to litigate to preserve the current investigative processes whilst on the other hand refusing to conduct a full investigation into the matters relating to the Omagh atrocity, as required in the weighty Judgement of Lord Justice Horner, who made it very clear that this was necessary.” He also asked if Sinn Fein supports a public inquiry in the south into the Omagh bombing. The party did not offer a reaction.