Peace process: The Government was accused of "play-acting" with the peace process. Sorcha Nic Cormaic, Dublin, also claimed that the Government had joined the British government in removing opportunities created by the IRA in December.
"It was Bertie Ahern's Government that was recently under the spotlight with the jailing of Ray Burke, allegations of corruption against Fianna Fáil, a health system in crisis and outrageous squandering of taxpayers' money." Ms Nic Cormaic, speaking during the debate on the peace process, claimed the Government was being "led by the nose" by the PDs.
"McDowell thinks inequality is a good thing for Irish society," she added. "His party represents the most greedy instincts and privileged sections within Irish society and he has attempted to portray Sinn Féin, and by extension the people who vote for this party, as criminals."
She said she wanted to remind Mr McDowell that Sinn Féin was the third-largest party on the island - "342,000 people from every corner of Ireland vote for Sinn Féin, nearly 300,000 more people than voted for the PDs".
Jim Clinton, Belfast, claimed the Government had forgotten his late wife "who was shot dead by loyalist gunmen with the help of British intelligence". He said she "was one of the many victims of collusion" adding: "Theresa was a devoted and loving mother to Roseann, who was 13, and Siobhán, who was three, when she was murdered," he said.
"She was shot 23 times in full view of the gunmen who riddled the living room of our house in south Belfast," Mr Clinton added. "The RUC then harassed myself, family and friends on the night of the murder and went on to ruin an identification parade where they named the witnesses in front of a notorious loyalist gunman."
