The deportation from New Zealand of the wife of Mr Danny Butler, who is living under an Irish People's Liberation Organisation death threat and who was also deported back to Ireland last November after a siege at his home, has been strongly criticised by Dr Joe Hendron of the SDLP.
Ms Collette Butler is due to arrive in Dublin today with one of her sons. Her husband has been living in the Republic since November. Mr Butler failed to attend an appeal hearing in Belfast in 1990 after he was found guilty of an arms charge. One of his co-accused was subsequently cleared.