Let there be peace, but not at any price
Former Taoiseach John Bruton formed the rainbow coalition in 1994 with Labour and Democratic Left (DL) for many good reasons - there can be no doubt that if DL was known to have had enduring associations with known criminals and illegal organisations, that government would never have been formed in the first place.
Last year, under intense questioning, the Taoiseach admitted that he had misinformed the Dáil with regard to Government representatives having had secret meetings with Northern paramilitary elements.
During negotiations prior to Christmas, the Taoiseach and the Justice Minister agreed to allow for the release of the killers of Detective Garda Gerry McCabe, despite the High Court having ruled that they did not qualify for release under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
This should never have even been on the table.
We need lasting peace, but the line must be drawn at offering to release the killers of a member of our police force, and dealing in secret with known convicted criminals only to deny such meetings ever took place.
Mark Wakefield
Mercier Park
Turners Cross
Cork
