Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I listened yesterday to several representatives of bereaved families of RUC members in the North discussing the Detective Garda McCabe case. All of them oppose the early release of those responsible for murdering Detective Garda McCabe. We should be clear that when we voted for the Good Friday Agreement and for the release of murderers and others from our prisons we were conscious that there were 307 bereaved families of RUC members in the North and we thought that was the price we had to pay, but that should have been the end of the matter.

This case is an addition to the Good Friday Agreement. It is not part of it and it is very unfair of people to present it as such. I understand the Government's difficulty on which Senator Mansergh made a fair comment yesterday. Who demands this release? It is not the representatives of the bereaved families of RUC members and it is not the Government. It appears to be Sinn Féin and I want to know its reasons. We are entitled to know the reasons.

I accept Senator Mansergh's point that the Government is under pressure but when was that pressure brought to bear? The Government should have made its position clear at the beginning and that there would be no moving from it. Now it is being undermined by some force and there is a lack of clarity about this issue. We need to know who it is. If action must be taken let us and the electorate know who is demanding this release and why.

It seems likely the postal service will be disrupted. Members should bear in mind that a year ago when we discussed reform of this House all sides and parties became edgy at any suggestion that there might be interference with our futures, careers or the manner in which we are elected. These people feel their future is being taken away from them, that the arrangements they entered into with management have been broken and agreements have not been met.

I am not judging the rights or wrongs of the case. I have never seen an industrial dispute where there was not, to some extent, right on each side but this involves macho management which is making other threats as well. I hope there will not be industrial action because there should not be. Workers who decide to take industrial action do so only as a last resort. I hope they find a reason for not doing it but I recognise that they believe they have been badly treated. They always have to take the last action, and are subject to complaints. We should look at the issue from both sides.