I understand that Senator Lydon and Senator Manning wish to make personal statements. Before I call on the Senators I want to make it clear that I will not allow any further debate. Once the personal statements are made the matter is closed.
Personal Statement by Member.
I want to clarify something for the record. I have been pilloried in the press for some time and in this House about an aside I made to Senator Mooney which was not intended for public consumption but has reached that level.
I am a little amazed at the indignation it caused because everybody in the House knows that I repudiate violence in every form, whether it comes from the British Army, the Provisional IRA or anywhere else, and I have said so many times. There is no question about that. The indignation is somewhat amazing to me because in the first debate in this House — it was held in the Dáil Chamber — on the Single European Act, I mentioned the occupation of our country by Britain. Again in a debate on the Constitution I mentioned it. When I expressed sympathy to the people who were blown to smithereens by the Provisionals at Enniskillen I mentioned it and nobody said anything about it, so I am surprised that anything is said about it now.
I would like to quote another little statement: "Dáil Éireann ... calls upon the British Government and people to end the present occupation of our Six North Eastern Counties, and thereby enable the unity of Ireland to be restored and the age-long differences between the two nations brought to an end." That statement was made by John A. Costello and signed by Éamon de Valera. I feel I am in fairly good company when I look at the way Britain is running the Six Counties at the moment. That is my personal view and I do not expect anybody to agree or disagree with it. I am deeply sorry for what happened to the British soldiers.
I have been called a fellow traveller here, but anybody reading what I said in the debate on the Ethiopian motion will know I deplore the loss of even one human life. When I stood up to express sympathy to the people who were bombed in Enniskillen I said: "For the first time ever I feel that in most of the people I talk to there is a new awareness of the need to adopt peaceful means for reunification because that is the only way to go. I will end by saying how sad I am about what happened. They are hardly the words of a fellow traveller. Where were some of the people sitting judging me here today after that horrific explosion in Enniskillen? I did not intend to make this public but I see it was printed in one of the papers.
Senator Willie Farrell and I, and I do not know who else, went to that town where I have cousins and relatives. I stood in silent prayer at the place where the bomb went off and I visited people all over that town to sympathise with them. I never intended to make that public but it is true. Those are hardly the actions of a fellow traveller.
I have always thought of Senator Manning as a gentleman inside and outside the House. He may have been offended if the remark I made privately reached his ears publicly. I do not think it reached his ears, but I do not want him to make any withdrawal or anything like that. I am not interested in that. I just want to clear the record on where I stand on violence. As for Senator John A. Murphy's remark, I do not think that needs to be defended. Nobody in this House supports the Provisional IRA.
Last week I spoke in anger and in heat. I accused the Senator of being a fellow traveller. He now says I am wrong and I accept that I am wrong and I withdraw what I said. I feel, however, that what he said last week was offensive and tasteless and that view I still maintain. I regret that he could not have been more straightforward in his explanation this morning.