Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The big question people are asking is why did this happen now. The big consequence is for those other individuals who have been given similar assurances by the British Government, in the form of letters of assurance that the British police are not interested in arresting them and that there are no charges outstanding against them. These people are asking what impact this will have on their lives.

In respect of this case there is a pattern in that the authorities seem to be attacking John Downey and his family by not granting them access to the jail or legal representation. It is an unusual case but the fact that others are being arrested now too will have an impact. What message is this sending out to those who supported the peace process, including Mr. Downey? I welcome the fact that the Minister is going to try to reinvigorate discussions on the on-the-runs. It is an area that has to be dealt with and yes, we do need to deal with the pattern.

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