Euro Court ruling raised

There was a sharp clash in the Dáil on Wednesday when Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin slammed efforts by Labour Party leader Ruairi Quinn to attack Sinn Féin on the basis of the RUC's latest figures for `punishment' attacks.

Speaking at Taoiseach's Question Time, Quinn twisted a quotation from Gerry Adams in the Irish Times. The Sinn Féin President was quoted as saying that the issue of anti-social behaviour ``is the only thing that is going to cost Sinn Féin votes because people feel that we are not doing enough''. He also stated that such attacks were ``the community responding in exasperation'' to anti-social behaviour but they were not the answer. Quinn tried to present Adams as saying that they were not carrying out enough punishment attacks!

Responding to Quinn, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said:

``I reiterate what I have said here before. So-called punishment attacks are not an answer to anti-social behaviour. There are no links between those who carry out these attacks and the party I represent in this House. Deputy Quinn spends his time misrepresenting the Sinn Féin position for reasons that have nothing to do with the difficulties being faced on the ground in Belfast but because of the difficulties he faces on the ground here in Dublin.''

Fine Gael leader Michael Noonan joined in the Sinn Féin-bashing session and asked the Taoiseach if he was concerned that the party would engage in ``intimidation and personation'' in the election in the 26 Counties. Noonan also parroted David Trimble's criticism of that morning's meeting in Dublin between Sinn Féin Ministers Martin McGuinness and Bairbre De Brún and their counterparts in Education and Health, Michael Woods and Mícheál Martin. Trimble criticised both Sinn Féin and the Irish government, saying the meeting was held for electoral purposes. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the meeting was low key and focused on education and health issues, particularly child welfare and was part of ongoing North/South cooperation.

In his questions to the Taoiseach, Ó Caoláin raised the recent European Court ruling against the British government. He asked:

``On 4 May, the European Court of Human Rights made one of its most significant rulings ever in relation to Ireland when it judged that

the British government was guilty of abuse of human rights in the killing by its armed forces of 11 Irish people in the Six Counties. Will the Taoiseach now back the call of the relatives who have won this case for an international UN-led investigation into British state killings? Does he agree that this should include assassinations by British forces and loyalists in the 26 Counties such as the killing, ten years ago this week, of Donegal County Councillor Eddie Fullerton, in whose case there is compelling evidence of collusion between loyalists and British forces?''

The Taoiseach briefly outlined the court ruling and stated that the Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen would be meeting soon with the relatives who took the case. Ó Caoláin then raised the delay in the establishment of the Human Rights Commission in the 26 Counties:

``Grave concern has been expressed that the Human Rights Commission in this State exists only in shadow form and that a Chief Executive has yet to be appointed which is preventing it from getting it up and running. Is the Taoiseach aware that the Commission in the Six Counties is far advanced in its work and is preparing to go into a public consultation phase on a proposed Bill of Rights? How does the Taoiseach respond to the criticism of the government's approach to the European Convention on Human Rights Bill by the president-elect of the Human Rights Commission Justice Donal Barrington and does all this not represent a serious setback to what should be an All-Ireland approach to human rights?''

Bertie Ahern acknowledged that there had been delays in both legislation and the establishment of the Commission but said progress was being made.