Responding
to the IRA statement in Friday's Derry Journal,
claiming that "there is absolutely no threat
from the IRA to the McGinley family", Eileen
McGinley has called on the IRA to make clear if
they are denying that a threat was made against
her family or if that threat has been lifted. She
has also said that the IRA's response is not enough.
"We
asked the IRA for four things, to state whether
or not they consider our Jimmy's killing to be a
crime, kick Bart Fisher out of their organisation,
apologise to us for how we've been treated and to
lift the threat made against us.
"If
they're saying that no threat was made then they're
trying to make liars out of us and we're not. We
wouldn't go on national TV and radio and tell lies.
Everything we're saying is the truth.
"They
told my Eugene that no member of this family is
to touch Bart Fisher when he gets out of prison
because he's an IRA man. What if there's a row up
the town and somebody belonging to me is involved
and Bart Fisher's involved? Am I going to have the
IRA at my door or another dead child?"
Campaigner
for the family, Damien Okado-Gough welcomed the
IRA statement and said he hopes that it marks the
first step in resolving the issue between the IRA
and the family.
"If
it represents a denial that any threat was issued
then that just adds insult to injury. If, however,
it is a sincere attempt to address the McGinley
family's concerns then it should be welcomed. I
am asking the IRA to clear up this ambiguity through
whichever channels it is comfortable with.
"That
aside, the family have wider concerns and I hope
that this statement marks the start of a proper
engagement between the two that will bring this
whole episode to an end."
