Sir, - I am moved to write to your newspaper in response to the hysterical reactions over the past few days from both political and Garda spokespersons in regard to the possible release of those convicted for the manslaughter of the late Garda Jerry McCabe.
It would appear to me that a misunderstanding of the complexities of the Good Friday Agreement is becoming evident. It is unlikely that there would ever have been an agreement reached if the issue of prisoner releases had not been resolved. At that time (April 1998) the groupings which were on ceasefire (including the Provisional IRA) were to be entitled to prisoner releases for offences committed prior to that date.
The killing of Garda McCabe (in June 1996) was indeed a major shock to people everywhere in the Republic, which had for the greater part been spared the worst ravages of the ongoing conflict in the North, with a few notable exceptions such as the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in 1974.
However, when relatives of victims since Garda McCabe, such as James Morgan or Stephen Restorick, see those convicted of killing their loved ones being released, it must leave them wondering what the Irish Government thought it was signing up to on Good Friday 1998 (much in the same way as Chris Patten asked of those who lambasted his report on new policing structures in the North).
Unfortunately, the impression that I think these relatives will be left with is: "All victims are equal. Just some more equal than others." -Yours, etc.,
S. Dolan, Castleknock, Dublin 15.