Sir, - Having attended the RTE Questions and Answers programme in Omagh last Monday night, I would like to make the following points:
1. Discussion on the political implications of this appalling act would have been far better served, had a reasonable amount of time been allowed to elapse, to let the grieving population bury their dead and start the healing process. Here we were, trying to debate the issues raised by this atrocity before the final identification of some of the victims had even taken place. A mere two days after the event, it was virtually impossible to debate fully and frankly its political consequences without adding further anguish to an already distraught community.
2. The format of the programme was not conducive to a full debate. The first half of a one-hour programme took the form of people recounting their experiences on the day. I would have thought that that aspect of the tragedy was more than adequately covered in other forums and media. That left a mere 30 minutes to debate the political consequences of the bombing - not enough to debate fully one audience question, let alone five. It meant that several points were raised but not expanded upon.
3. The eleventh-hour withdrawal by Sinn Fein from the debate was predictable. I do not believe they had any intention of attending from the word go, but left their withdrawal late to save face. It leaves their condemnations sounding even more hollow, if that is possible.
Because of the programme format and the lack of progress in debating the real issues confronting the people of the area and the country, I left that hall completely frustrated at not being able to express my feelings and opinions on the events of the weekend.
I would like to finish by expressing my complete disgust at the point-scoring by a group of anti-agreement politicians on Sunday morning, on the backs of the victims of the previous day's atrocity. They tried their level best to attribute the blame to the Irish government, the British government, the Secretary of State and any one else on whom attributed blame would bolster their own standing. It is immoral to prey on a grieving and hurt electorate to enhance your own standing. Shame on you. - Yours etc.,
Brian O'Sullivan,
Omagh,
Co. Tyrone.