{"id":24613,"date":"2021-12-29T13:33:09","date_gmt":"2021-12-29T18:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24613"},"modified":"2021-12-29T13:33:12","modified_gmt":"2021-12-29T18:33:12","slug":"mcdonald-government-must-step-up-opposition-to-troubles-amnesty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24613","title":{"rendered":"McDonald: Government Must Step Up Opposition To Troubles’ ‘Amnesty’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Mary Lou McDonald has called on the Government to set out how it will respond if the British government proceeds with the plans to end Troubles prosecutions (PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Government must step up its opposition to the UK government\u2019s proposed amnesty for Troubles-era prosecutions in the new year, Mary Lou McDonald has said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sinn F\u00e9in president has called officials in Dublin to set out how Ireland will respond if the British government proceeds with plans to end legal cases relating to the conflict in the North.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July, Britain’s Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis announced plans for a statute of limitations which would end all prosecutions for Troubles incidents up to April 1998 and would apply to military veterans as well as ex-paramilitaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposals, which British prime minister Boris Johnson said would allow the North to \u201cdraw a line under the Troubles\u201d, would also end all legacy inquests and civil actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms McDonald said: \u201cThere isn\u2019t any shade of political opinion on the island of Ireland that supports this amnesty. We have all asserted that it is wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think there is a necessity for [the Irish Government] to step up actions and to be consistently and publicly vocal come the new year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd then I think we need to hear from Government here, if the British move this legislation, if they are insistent on that, what will the response from Dublin be? That\u2019s the big question there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposals have been condemned by all the main political parties in the North as well as the Irish Government and a range of victims\u2019 and survivors\u2019 groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking to the PA News Agency, Ms McDonald described the plans as \u201coutrageous\u201d and said they were designed to protect British state actors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe proposal for a general amnesty for British state actors \u2013 and the amnesty is for their soldiers and for their proxies \u2013 that is outrageous,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt has no support on the island of Ireland. It has been criticized internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think certainly the Government in Dublin needs to keep the pressure on Boris Johnson on that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms McDonald also criticized London for efforts to rip up the Northern Ireland Protocol, the post-Brexit agreement that has prevented a hard border on the island of Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said the UK\u2019s position on the issue has been damaging for them internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe United States has made clear there won\u2019t be a trade agreement if the protocol is shredded, and if there is damage to the Good Friday Agreement,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s pretty clear. In fairness, the US administration and across the aisle of US politics, there has been a clarity of message that there can\u2019t be damage to the Good Friday Agreement and the protocol has to be delivered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that would be most unwise on their part. I think the idea that, you know, Britannia waives the rules, this kind of machismo that comes from the Johnson administration is deeply misguided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s well received internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think the British government and system needs to understand, when it comes to Irish interests, we have an agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have international law on our side when we argue for the protections that we\u2019re entitled to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe sensible, the smart, and the honorable thing is to keep your word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo abide by the agreements that you\u2019ve signed off on, and not to endlessly create uncertainty and anxiety, which has consequences for everyone, not least very, very serious economic consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

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