STATEMENT:RELATIVES OF two people murdered by the IRA yesterday criticised Martin McGuinness's response to questions about their murders during the RTÉ Frontlinedebate.
The family of murdered Louth farmer Tom Oliver issued a statement demanding that Mr McGuinness “come out and unequivocally brand the killing” as murder.
The statement was released to the media through the Seán Gallagher campaign office, which said Eugene Oliver, a son of the murdered farmer, contacted Mr Gallagher after the debate.
A son-in-law of the late Jean McConville, who was abducted and murdered by the Provisional IRA, also spoke out.
Asked during the debate if he would describe the killings of Ms McConville and Mr Oliver as murder, Mr McGuinness said “their families would describe it as murder and I wouldn’t disagree with any grieving family who had to deal with that situation”.
In his statement Mr Oliver said Mr McGuinness had to “stop hiding behind weasel words”.
Tom Oliver was aged 43 when he was abducted, tortured and murdered by the IRA in July 1991.
Mr Oliver said: "We saw the empty words of Martin McGuinness last night on RTÉ's Frontlinefor what it was . . .
“Before people go to vote on October 27th my family are entitled to hear his death admitted as murder. He was gunned down in cold blood and, even 20 years later, at this remove, my family are entitled to finally and unequivocally hear the words murder uttered from his lips.
“What really upset me last night was when I heard Martin McGuinness warn another candidate to tell the truth. What shallow hypocrisy from a man who has dined out on weasel words for most of his career.”
Seamus McKendry, son-in-law of Jean McConville, also criticised Mr McGuinness’s failure to unequivocally describe her abduction and killing by the IRA as murder. One of the “disappeared”, her body was finally found on a beach in Co Louth in 2003, more than three decades after her murder.
Mr McKendry, who is married to Ms McConville’s daughter Helen, said he had not wanted to enter the presidential debate “because I didn’t want to give free publicity to Martin McGuinness” but felt compelled to do so because of his remarks.
“This is just adding insult to injury. You don’t stand for the Áras and come out with rubbish like that. Martin McGuinness is not fit to be president of this country.”