asked the Minister for Defence the number of members of the Old IRA who received invitations to the Truce commemoration ceremonies in Dublin on 10th and 11th July, and the number who were not invited.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Truce Commemoration Ceremonies.
68.
Approximately 310 Old IRA and other veterans were invited to the ceremonies. It is not possible to say from my Department's records how many members of the Old IRA were not invited.
A number of people were surprised at being omitted. Who compiled the list of invitees?
A special committee was set up to deal with the commemoration generally. Invitations were issued on a representative basis.
What qualifications had the committee to go on? All medal holders have the same rights surely.
The invitations had to be issued on a representative basis. The Deputy will appreciate that, if all who claimed they were entitled to be invited, had been invited it would not have been possible to accommodate the number. Therefore the invitees had to be representative of various divisions, brigades, et cetera, and selected on that basis. This selections was made by a representative committee.
Surely the Minister must be aware that some members of the Old IRA got as many as three invitations while others got none?
(Cavan): They must have had some other outstanding qualification.
I am not so aware.
I can prove it to the Minister.