Bruton joins pre-election attacks on Sinn Féin

FORMER Taoiseach John Bruton last night joined the pre-election attacks on Sinn Féin by claiming its alleged military wing was responsible for more deaths than the Mafia.

In possibly the strongest attack yet on the party, Mr Bruton said the very existence of the IRA was an affront to the authority of the State.

“We have seen how the Mafia ate away at the heart of Italian democracy, until a few brave magistrates took them on. The IRA is a Mafia. It works in secret, is accountable to no one, and uses violence. The only difference is that the Mafia killed proportionately far less people than did the IRA,” said Mr Bruton.

Mr Bruton said speculation on whether Gerry Adams was an IRA member or not only served to distract from the real issue.

“The primary issue is the fact that the IRA exist at all, and the fact that its continued existence is supported by a political party, Sinn Féin, which has seats in the Dáil,” he said. “Quite literally, the mere existence of the IRA is a crime. It is specifically forbidden by both the Constitution and our laws. The foundation of any democratic order is an acceptance that the democratic authorities of the state have a monopoly in the use of force. Sinn Féin and the IRA reject that and that is not tolerable in a democracy.”

In particular, Mr Bruton singled out the weekend’s Easter rising commemorations by republican supporters as intolerable in a modern democracy. “People appearing in military uniform, in military array, at Sinn Féin celebrations over the Easter weekend is something that would not be tolerated in a normal European democracy,” he said.

Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said the attack on his party was pointless. “Deputy Bruton continues to engage in competition with Minister McDowell for the prize of Sinn Féin-basher of the week. It is all quite futile. Both of them know that the IRA cannot be wished away. They also know that no party has done more than Sinn Féin to ensure that the peace process succeeds and that armed force in Irish politics becomes a thing of the past. . .

“Deputy Bruton should leave it to those actually engaged in the peace process to deal with the major difficulties we all face, rather than returning to a failed anti-republican agenda,” said Mr Ó Caoláin.