Statement by TUV East Londonderry Assembly candidate Jordan Armstrong:
“The decision of the Irish Prison Service to permit the use of a former prison in Cork for the filming of “Maze” is highly questionable to say the least.
“The film is billed as “an exciting prison break story” which hardly suggests that it will be a critical look at the actions of the criminals who shot a prison officer in the head.
“The Irish Prison Service’s decision to facilitate this film is all the more questionable when one remembers that the IRA shot one of their own officers – Brian Stack – in March 1983. One would have thought that the prison service would have consulted with the victims of IRA terrorists before permitting their property to be used in this fashion.
“The fact that that didn’t happen underscores the reality once again that for all the talk about victims by authorities on both sides of the border in reality the powers that be have scant regard for their feels and views never mind brining the victim makers to justice.
“I would echo the call of Brian Stack’s son Austin for the Irish Justice Minister to step in and halt the filming.
“Even if Dublin has no regard for victims of the IRA on this side of the border they should at least take note of the views of their own citizens who have suffered at the hands of the Provos.
“While no one can judge a film without having seen it it is already clear that the involvement of the Irish Prison Service in this production has caused hurt to victims. If it goes on to portray those who shot a prison officer in the head as some sort of Steve McQueen type characters rather than the bloodthirsty criminals they were in reality that hurt will be magnified many times over.”