Burrows condemns bail decision in alleged bomb plot case and will write to Irish Justice Minister

Ulster Unionist Party Leader Jon Burrows MLA has described the decision to grant bail to a woman charged in connection with the alleged transportation of explosive materials destined for Northern Ireland as “deeply concerning” and has announced he will write to Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan seeking clarity on the Republic’s justice system’s approach to tackling republican terrorism.

Mr Burrows said:

“The decision to grant bail in this case is, in my view, extremely difficult to understand given the seriousness of the charges.

“The defendant is alleged to have been in possession of Semtex explosive and a timer power unit which were intended, if the prosecution case is proven, to facilitate an act of terrorism capable of causing catastrophic loss of life.

“An Garda Síochána opposed bail, yet it was granted. Public confidence in the justice system depends not only on justice being done but on it being seen to be done. Decisions in cases involving alleged terrorist offences must reassure the public that the threat is being treated with the utmost seriousness. The suggestion that the defendant’s parents can keep a ‘tight rein’ on her is absurd; she is 25, not 12.”

Mr Burrows said he would be writing to the Irish Minister for Justice to express his concerns about the granting of bail and to seek clarification regarding the wider approach to cases involving alleged terrorist offences.

He also called for clarity regarding the origin of the suspected Semtex recovered during the investigation.

“I will also be seeking to establish whether the suspected Semtex is recently manufactured or whether it may originate from Provisional IRA stocks that were never decommissioned.

“If that were found to be the case, it would once again raise serious questions about the extent of decommissioning and reinforce concerns about the continued availability of terrorist matériel decades after the Belfast Agreement.”

Mr Burrows added that the incident was a reminder that the terrorist threat to Northern Ireland has not disappeared.

“The overwhelming majority of people on these islands support peace and democracy, but there remain a small number of violent extremists who continue to believe that murder can be justified for political ends.

“The security forces deserve enormous credit for disrupting alleged terrorist activity and protecting the public. We must ensure that every part of the justice system sends a clear message that terrorism will be met with the full force of the law.”