Seanad Report: Mr Paul Coghlan (FG) asked if the House could be assured that the Republic's security and intelligence services had been unaware of the activities of "Stakeknife" and perhaps other double agents., writes Jimmy Walsh.
"We have learned only too much and too sadly from the Stevens' Report of the extent and the type of such activities," Mr Coghlan added.
Supporting calls for a debate, Mr David Norris (Ind) said he deplored the use by RTÉ of the word "execution" with regard to certain kinds of IRA activities. Legitimate executions could be carried out only by the State, but this country had abolished capital punishment, he said. It was not appropriate to use the term "execution" to cover paramilitary murders.
* * * * *
The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, seemed to be positing himself as a kind of modern day temperance priest like Father Matthew, the Fine Gael leader in the Seanad, Mr Brian Hayes said.
While the Minister apparently had plans to introduce a national identity card scheme for the purchase of alcohol, why had such a proposal not been included in a Bill to be debated in the House tomorrow, asked Mr Hayes. who said he was glad the Minister was adopting Fine Gael policy. Mr David Norris (Ind) said that if the Minister saw himself as a new Father Matthew: "I have no problem with that at all. Father Matthew was an excellent man; we certainly need another one in the 21st century."