O'DONNELL SUPPORTS DAY OF MOURNING
O'Donnell supports day of mourning
By DIARMAID MacDERMOTT
JUNIOR Foreign Affairs Minister Liz O' Donnell yesterday backed calls for a national day of mourning to remember the victims of the Omagh massacre.
Ms O' Donnell said a day of mourning would be a fitting tribute to those killed in Omagh.
She added: "I think it would be a very fitting tribute and an opportunity for the Irish people, for all of us, for the community in general to express our feelings of grief and outrage at this and an absolute declaration that we are committed and determined not to allow these people wreck our hopes for a better future for all of the island.''
The Minister said: "This is an attack on the Irish people, it's an attack on the security of our State and our democratic institutions.
"There is no political or moral justification for an act such as this, an act of terror against the wishes of the Irish people.''
Ms O' Donnell said that the Government is "considering in detail'' the use of internment against the republican dissidents responsible for the outrage and is putting together "the bones of a security response''.
"We have strong intelligence on these people. What we are doing now is reviewing our security operationally and legislatively so that we are confident we will be competent to deal on a nationwide basis and on an all Ireland basis with this threat.
"We have to act with due process. We have very stringent anti-terrorist legislation. We have very strong legislation already.''
Ms O' Donnell said the Government was considering whether convictions could be obtained against the republican dissidents.
"I can assure the Irish people that we are working around the clock here to put in place an appropriate security response to this.''
She said the Government had not ruled out internment.
"It's certainly a very powerful weapon against subversion. It has been used in the past. There are downsides to the use of internment. It would have to be an all Ireland measure.''
The call for a national day of mourning came from Don Mullan, the Derry author whose book on the Bloody Sunday killings helped to bring about a new official inquiry.
He said: "Here is a case where Catholics, Protestants, and foreign visitors having been murdered by our own people and it's all the more reason why we must have a national day of mourning.''
By DIARMAID MacDERMOTT
JUNIOR Foreign Affairs Minister Liz O' Donnell yesterday backed calls for a national day of mourning to remember the victims of the Omagh massacre.
Ms O' Donnell said a day of mourning would be a fitting tribute to those killed in Omagh.
She added: "I think it would be a very fitting tribute and an opportunity for the Irish people, for all of us, for the community in general to express our feelings of grief and outrage at this and an absolute declaration that we are committed and determined not to allow these people wreck our hopes for a better future for all of the island.''
The Minister said: "This is an attack on the Irish people, it's an attack on the security of our State and our democratic institutions.
"There is no political or moral justification for an act such as this, an act of terror against the wishes of the Irish people.''
Ms O' Donnell said that the Government is "considering in detail'' the use of internment against the republican dissidents responsible for the outrage and is putting together "the bones of a security response''.
"We have strong intelligence on these people. What we are doing now is reviewing our security operationally and legislatively so that we are confident we will be competent to deal on a nationwide basis and on an all Ireland basis with this threat.
"We have to act with due process. We have very stringent anti-terrorist legislation. We have very strong legislation already.''
Ms O' Donnell said the Government was considering whether convictions could be obtained against the republican dissidents.
"I can assure the Irish people that we are working around the clock here to put in place an appropriate security response to this.''
She said the Government had not ruled out internment.
"It's certainly a very powerful weapon against subversion. It has been used in the past. There are downsides to the use of internment. It would have to be an all Ireland measure.''
The call for a national day of mourning came from Don Mullan, the Derry author whose book on the Bloody Sunday killings helped to bring about a new official inquiry.
He said: "Here is a case where Catholics, Protestants, and foreign visitors having been murdered by our own people and it's all the more reason why we must have a national day of mourning.''
Further Information
Publisher: IRISH INDEPENDENT
Ref: II/176
Published Date: 18-Aug-98
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