Oireachtas

Currie says SF members know where bodies buried

A claim by Mr Austin Currie (FG, Dublin West) that members of Sinn Fein knew where the bodies of those murdered by paramilitaries…

Thu Feb 05 1998 - 00:00

A claim by Mr Austin Currie (FG, Dublin West) that members of Sinn Fein knew where the bodies of those murdered by paramilitaries were to be found drew a sharp response from Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) during Question Time.

Mr Currie referred to his "increasing frustration and anger", over the failure of the paramilitaries to return the bodies of their victims to their families. He added that the Sinn Fein leader, Mr Gerry Adams, had promised him, during a confrontation on the Late Late Show in 1994, that he would look into the matter. "Would the Taoiseach agree that it is nearly time that we did have answers to those questions, particularly in circumstances where some members at least of the leadership of Sinn Fein have personal knowledge of the location of these bodies?" he added. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said he had frequently raised the case of those who had disappeared and were believed to be dead. "It comes within that category of issues that I believe are genuinely confidence-building. The issue is on both sides. There are missing persons on both sides of the community," he added.

He said that he had called on those, whoever they were, to use their influence to assist families who had been through enough of torture over the years.

Mr Currie said that the next time the Taoiseach met the leaders of Sinn Fein, Mr Ahern should point out to them that some of the bodies were in the Republic.

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"Would he bear in mind that some of the people he is talking about, as I said earlier, have personal knowledge of where some of these bodies are located and the circumstances in which those bodies are there? "Would he point out to them once again that even in pagan times, when a conflict ended bodies were returned and that this is the least that we expect so that it can do something to assuage the grief of those relatives who have suffered enough already?"

Mr O Caolain said: "I find the contribution of the previous questioner most objectionable. I only note that Deputy Currie seems to have personal knowledge . . . certainly not members of the national leadership of my party".

He had, as had several members of his party time and again, asked the public to provide any particular information to those families.