A chara, - John Bruton's remarks in the Dail in effect condoned the killing of unarmed Diarmuid O'Neill in London, on the assumption that it foiled some possible IRA attack. On what information was Mr. Bruton basing this assumption? Was he privy to information which even British Ministers were saying they did not have?
The limited facts we do have at the time of writing are that Diarmuid O'Neill was unarmed, at the time of the shooting and that a search of the property by the police has failed to produced guns or explosives of any kind.
Mr Bruton's acceptance of the drip fed media line emanating from Britain is a cause for serious concern. Is it now the case that the rights of Irish people living in Britain are to be trampled upon with the aid of the Taoiseach? How can other people arrested during the operation which resulted in the killing of O'Neill expect a fair trial, if charged, when the Taoiseach has already suggested that the British police prevented them from carrying out a bombing operation? - Is mise,
Fitzroy Avenue,
Drumcondra,
Dublin 3.