POLITICAL REPRESENATIVES CONFRONTED BY BEREAVED AND INJURED
Political representatives confronted by bereaved and injured
POLITICAL representatives were given a rough ride when they were confronted by relatives of Omagh victims on UTV's Insight programme on Thursday night last.
Four politicians, Sinn Fein's Pat Doherty MP; the DUP's William Hay; the SDLP's Joe Byrne and UUP peer, Lord Maginnis, were asked for their comments at the end of a programme during which some relatives spoke of their feelings after the meeting with the Chief Constable.
Pat Doherty, the West Tyrone MP,' was asked why his party could not advise people to give what information they had of the bombing to Gardai.
His attempts to answer the question did not satisfy the relatives.
Relatives said Mr. Doherty had no right to sit and talk of 'new beginnings' in politics when his party had not made the appeal.
Mr. Kevin Skelton said there could be no new beginning for the relatives.
He also accused Lord Maginnis of siding with the Chief Constable against the Police Ombudsman, and accused the DUP of turning it into a Catholic and Protestant issue.
"We are sick of it," he said. "All politicians are the same. They jump on the bandwagon. When there are bonuses to be got -cameras there, they're there. For the last three-and-a-half years none of those boys ever came to me and said 'can I help you this way, can I help you that way'. They don't care.
Lord Maginnis said he could understand that people were deeply but not just by this incident, but by 30 years of violence.
Anger
He said his remarks about Nuala O'Loan had been said with a great deal of anger, because, he told Mike Nesbitt, the presenter, he knew the foundations of the Ombudsman's enquiry.
He said that was based around 'Kevin Fulton' and he knew how unreliable 'Kevin Fulton' was and some of the scams he had been engaged in.
Mr. Michael Gallagher asked Mr. Doherty :"Will you, Pat, now come out and ask for people to come forward in the 26 counties who have knowledge of what happened. It is a straight question"
Mr. Doherty replied: "It is a straight question and I can give you a very straight answer. Ronnie Flanagan this evening and the RUC previously on a good number of occasions and the guards are on record as saying they know who carried out the bombing.
However, he then became involved in an exchange of comments with Mr. Skelton, who accused him of not answering the question.
Reports
Mr. Hay said that there were two reports and he did not think that politicians should get caught up in the debate between them.
He said that those, like himself, on the Police Board had to ensure that the investigation got all the resources that were needed.
He denied that the DUP had made it into a sectarian issue, and added: "While this whole debate is going on, and while the side issues are going on the people who perpetrated the bomb are getting away with it. We need to remember that."
Mr. Byrne, who is also a member of the Policing Board, said it had to give leadership. He said it would meet the Ombudsman, the Chief Constable and the relatives.
"The Board then will have to make some decisions, because the public at large - and the families and victims - are crying out for action," he said.
But Gary McGillion, who said he was not a political person, said what was being seen was a political game of football with issues being kicked about between the various parties.
He said that some of the politicians had not answered the questions they had been asked.
"It makes me sick to think that the people in Northern Ireland voted for these people to represent them. They are not doing it," he said.
POLITICAL representatives were given a rough ride when they were confronted by relatives of Omagh victims on UTV's Insight programme on Thursday night last.
Four politicians, Sinn Fein's Pat Doherty MP; the DUP's William Hay; the SDLP's Joe Byrne and UUP peer, Lord Maginnis, were asked for their comments at the end of a programme during which some relatives spoke of their feelings after the meeting with the Chief Constable.
Pat Doherty, the West Tyrone MP,' was asked why his party could not advise people to give what information they had of the bombing to Gardai.
His attempts to answer the question did not satisfy the relatives.
Relatives said Mr. Doherty had no right to sit and talk of 'new beginnings' in politics when his party had not made the appeal.
Mr. Kevin Skelton said there could be no new beginning for the relatives.
He also accused Lord Maginnis of siding with the Chief Constable against the Police Ombudsman, and accused the DUP of turning it into a Catholic and Protestant issue.
"We are sick of it," he said. "All politicians are the same. They jump on the bandwagon. When there are bonuses to be got -cameras there, they're there. For the last three-and-a-half years none of those boys ever came to me and said 'can I help you this way, can I help you that way'. They don't care.
Lord Maginnis said he could understand that people were deeply but not just by this incident, but by 30 years of violence.
Anger
He said his remarks about Nuala O'Loan had been said with a great deal of anger, because, he told Mike Nesbitt, the presenter, he knew the foundations of the Ombudsman's enquiry.
He said that was based around 'Kevin Fulton' and he knew how unreliable 'Kevin Fulton' was and some of the scams he had been engaged in.
Mr. Michael Gallagher asked Mr. Doherty :"Will you, Pat, now come out and ask for people to come forward in the 26 counties who have knowledge of what happened. It is a straight question"
Mr. Doherty replied: "It is a straight question and I can give you a very straight answer. Ronnie Flanagan this evening and the RUC previously on a good number of occasions and the guards are on record as saying they know who carried out the bombing.
However, he then became involved in an exchange of comments with Mr. Skelton, who accused him of not answering the question.
Reports
Mr. Hay said that there were two reports and he did not think that politicians should get caught up in the debate between them.
He said that those, like himself, on the Police Board had to ensure that the investigation got all the resources that were needed.
He denied that the DUP had made it into a sectarian issue, and added: "While this whole debate is going on, and while the side issues are going on the people who perpetrated the bomb are getting away with it. We need to remember that."
Mr. Byrne, who is also a member of the Policing Board, said it had to give leadership. He said it would meet the Ombudsman, the Chief Constable and the relatives.
"The Board then will have to make some decisions, because the public at large - and the families and victims - are crying out for action," he said.
But Gary McGillion, who said he was not a political person, said what was being seen was a political game of football with issues being kicked about between the various parties.
He said that some of the politicians had not answered the questions they had been asked.
"It makes me sick to think that the people in Northern Ireland voted for these people to represent them. They are not doing it," he said.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1011
Published Date: 31-Jan-02
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