Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane says he agrees with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris that it was “outrageous” for the tricolour to be draped over the coffin of garda-killer Pearse McAuley.
Pearse McAuley was convicted of the manslaughter of Garda Jerry McCabe who was killed during a post office raid in 1996.
“I do in short, to be honest and Pearse McAuley is not somebody that I would have any time for. That’s my view. He is not a Republican, in my view. And I agree with the comments that were made,” said Mr Cullinane.
He added: “There’s there’s a lot of issues there. We have made our position very clear on it, he has not been associated with Republicanism for a long, long time.
“And yes, in part it’s because of what happened to one of our colleagues, [SF TD, Pauline Tully] but I have no truck whatsoever with Pearse McAuley I don’t see him as a Republican.”
Asked if Sinn Féin regretted all of those times the party supported his release after killing of Jerry McCabe, Mr Cullinane said: “I just want to make a general point here, because my generation is not going to refight the old battles of a conflict that’s over.
“At a time of the peace process, everybody, including the Irish Government, was part of a process to release qualifying prisoners. It was a key part of the Good Friday Agreement. It was an integral part of the Good Friday Agreement.
“So that is a part of the peace process. It was an important part of the peace process. But you’re asking me specific questions, about somebody who has passed away that I have no truck with whatsoever.
“I don’t think any Republican shed a tear when Pearse McAuley passed away, that’s the reality.
“And I’ve made that clear, you can ask me the question 50 times you will get the same answer because that’s my answer, in my view, in our view, as a party, he is not a Republican. And I’ve answered the question.”
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