Mary Lou must apologise to families of the victims of the Omagh and Enniskillen bombings for her dismissive comments – Carroll MacNeill

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald must immediately apologise for brushing aside criticism of her candidate in Fermanagh / South Tyrone who refused to condemn the atrocities of the IRA in her own constituency, a Fine Gael Minister has said.

Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said: “Not only does Sinn Féin not take its seat, but now the party is not taking questions on the IRA’s murderous and heinous crimes.

“The fact of the matter is that a Sinn Féin candidate, herself a union leader of nurses, was asked in a radio interview yesterday to condemn bombings in which nurses were among the more than 40 innocent people who died, and she failed to do so.

“However, to add insult to injury, Mary Lou McDonald decided to pontificate from on high telling people that Sinn Féin were mere ‘political activists’ and she did not think the questioning of her candidate was ‘progressive’.

“Mary Lou McDonald’s recent interview on Claire Byrne showed she hasn’t read her own party’s budget documents, but this intervention shows she doesn’t own a history book either.

“Deputy McDonald’s response was cold and dismissive of IRA victims. 12 people died in Enniskillen, 29 people and unborn twins died in Omagh. More than 400 were maimed and injured in both bombings. Mary Lou McDonald should apologise immediately.

“It would be progressive to condemn the IRA, something she’s either incapable of doing, or not allowed to do.” Minister Caroll MacNeill concluded.