Kenny praises McConvilles and urges passing of names to PSNI

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has praised the courage of the children of murdered Jean McConville and urged them to give the names of those they believed were involved in her killing to the PSNI.

Mr Kenny also urged Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams to give any information he has to the PSNI detectives questioning him about the IRA murder of the mother of 10 in 1972.

“I admire the courage of the McConville children who knew what happened when their mother was taken away from them”, said Mr Kenny.

Ms McConville’s son Michael said he was afraid to give information to the PSNI, but his sister, Helen McKendry, said she was prepared to give names to the PSNI of those she believed were involved.

Asked whether he would urge the McConville family to pass on names to the PSNI, Mr Kenny said he would, and would urge anyone else with information about the killing to pass it on.

“I now expect Gerry Adams, the same as any other citizen of this country, to give full and thorough and comprehensive information about what they know about this notorious murder.

“This is an issue where a high-profile citizen is being questioned about his knowledge or any information he may have about Jean McConville and her murder and disappearance.

"And I expect Gerry Adams to give his answers in full, as he has a duty and responsibility to do ... it's a notorious murder, and the eyes of the world are on Ireland because of the personalities involved.

“But let’s remember the losers here - the real victims are her children, and they have been left in a situation where their mother was murdered - and her murder remains unsolved four decades on.”

Mr Kenny said he was concerned by comments by Michael McConville that he was afraid to give information to the PSNI, but the Irish State through the gardaí would do everything to support him.

He rejected comments from Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness that Mr Adams’s arrest was the work of “dark forces within the PSNI”.

“It’s a contradiction of the statements which Sinn Féin have been making about the progress that the PSNI has made as a police force over the last number of years,” said Mr Kenny.

“The PSNI is not the RUC, they have a job to do and they are conducting this investigation into an unsolved murder in a very professional and competent manner,” he added.

Mr Kenny was speaking in Cork where he launched the Ireland South campaign of Senator Deirdre Clune, one of three Fine Gael candidates along with Sean Kelly MEP and Simon Harris TD.

“We really have a chance of two seats in this four-seat Euro constituency, one of which will be Deirdre Clune, and I’m very happy to come here and endorse her campaign,” he said.