The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin is in Belfast where he will visit a PSNI station to meet rank and file officers to convey the Irish Government’s solidarity following the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in Omagh in February.
The officer remains critically ill after being shot a number of times by two gunmen in an attack by the dissident republican group the New IRA.
Troubles murders
Mr Martin will then meet Amnesty International and a number of relatives of victims of the Troubles.
They will urge the Tánaiste to give a commitment to take legal action if the British government refuses to drop controversial plans to end all investigations and prosecutions into Troubles murders.
Amnesty International has repeatedly said the proposed legislation would give the UK license to let perpetrators get away with murder, torture and other serious crimes committed.
It is calling for an inter-state challenge to be brought to the European Court of Human Rights and for the Irish Government to indicate publicly that it will take this course of action if the UK government proceeds with the plan.
“This meeting comes at a highly significant time, just ahead of the Good Friday Agreement’s 25th anniversary,” says Grainne Teggart, Amnesty UK’s Northern Ireland Deputy Director.
“The UK government’s celebration of the anniversary is tainted with hypocrisy – while praising its achievements, it is pushing through the Troubles Bill which, if passed, will recklessly violate it and undermine a delicate peace settlement,” she added.
The planned legislation is opposed by the Irish Government, all political parties and victims’ organisations in Northern Ireland and concerns have been raised by the US Congress and the United Nations.
Mr Martin will also address business leaders at the Belfast Chamber of Commerce lunch this afternoon.
He will then meet Northern Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris before they co-host a reception for the integrated education sector.
Tánaiste in Belfast ahead of GFA anniversary
Source: Viral Trends Report
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