FG ‘amazed that Taoiseach defending McCabe killer’s early release’

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern has confirmed that one of the killers of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe will be released on May 17, as first revealed by the Irish Examiner on Monday.

IRA member Michael O’Neill will walk free from Castlerea Prison having served just eight-and-a-quarter years of his 11-year sentence. Quizzed on the issue by Fine Gael in the Dáil, Mr Ahern said prisoners had a statutory entitlement to remission under the Rules for the Government of Prisons, provided they had demonstrated good behaviour. The entitlement is a reduction by one-quarter of a prisoner’s sentence.

Mr Ahern conceded O’Neill was earning lengthy remission “to which the prison authorities would say he is entitled”, but stressed it was not full remission.