Sir - There are a lot of us in the Republic who have never experienced what those in the North have, nor will we ever. While so many families, on both sides, have had to live near, walk by or hear of those responsible for maiming or murdering their loved ones and put up with it on a daily basis, they now deal with the consequences of paramilitary prisoners being released under the Good Friday Agreement. We have not had this continual anguish. It is not the case of the guilty being let out early for good behaviour as Brian M. Redmond (August 8th) puts it, but what we as a nation voted for in the Good Friday Agreement.
Mr Redmond seems to dissociate the armed robbery and killing in Adare from the Northern conflict. If those responsible had murdered a member of the RUC or a civilian in the North and were now being released, would we or our politicians be so defensive?
While David Trimble with others can swallow the bitter pill and accept prisoner release, none of our politicians can stand up and acknowledge that what we voted for is justified, even though we condemn the actions of the accused. - Yours, etc.,
Hermione Flynn Rogers, Dundalk, Co Louth.