SF incapable of telling the truth, says McDowell

The republican movement is devoid of statesmen and incapable of telling the truth, Justice Minister Michael McDowell told the Dáil today.

Speaking on a Sinn Féin motion calling for Irish unity, Mr McDowell also called on the party to create trust and build bridges with the unionist community.

Sinn Féin’s private members’ motion was defeated after a Government amendment was today voted through in the Dáil by a majority of TDs.

Mr McDowell told the debate that telling the truth about issues like the IRA’s alleged involvement in the Northern Bank robbery and the killing of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe was essential if trust was to be built between the communities.

“They posture as statesmen, write books about their views about the future of Ireland,” the minister said.

“I was interested to see that some of them were distinguished guests here yesterday but they are distinguished by one thing – an absolute and radical inability to tell the truth or acknowledge the truth.”

He said he found it strange that the provisional movement came to the Irish Government to ask it to help them engage with unionists in Northern Ireland.

“Bringing together the orange and green traditions of this island to create a genuine republic on this island, not a sectarian society, requires statesmanship of a kind that the republican movement has shown it is entirely incapable of to this point.”

However, he said he was encouraged by signs that Sinn Féin was opposed to violence and wanted to promote democracy.

Sinn Féin’s Dáil leader Caoimhghin Ó Caoláin tried to interject to "roundly reject" Mr McDowell’s comments, but was ruled out of order by Ceann Comhairle Rory O’Hanlon.

Mr McDowell went on to say that he believed Northern Ireland had more in common with the Republic than the UK.

But he said the repulican movement needed to have the trust of all inhabitants on the island.

“Trust in that context means … that you tell the truth. If you are a member of the IRA, you say so.

“If your movement killed Det Garda Jerry McCabe, you say so.

“If your movement raided the Northern Bank, you say so.

“But denying things which are known as obvious truths totally undermines the credibility of those who engage in that kind of mendacity.”

The Dublin TD said that trust would create the building blocks for engagement with the unionist community.

“The first thing they have to do is tell the truth. Unless they face up to that, they’re going nowhere.”

Mr McDowell also accused Sinn Féin of polarising Northern Ireland society by destroying the middle ground.

Responding, Sinn Féin TD Arthur Morgan challenged the grass roots of Fianna Fáil to ask themselves whether their party any longer represented their aspirations for a united Ireland.

He claimed that their new found republicanism rang hollow.

Mr Morgan said Sinn Fein’s motion had been put down in an attempt to secure consensus, but that Fianna Fáil in particular was running away from a constructive debate on unity.

He told Taoiseach Bertie Ahern: “Live up to the ideals of Padraic Pearse whose portrait adorns the wall of your office.”