Commenting Jim Allister said:
“The re-appointment of convicted bomber Paul Kavanagh to the Education Authority is a kick in the teeth for innocent victims and sends a dreadful message to the upcoming generation. Kavanagh has never expressed any remorse for his part in the Chelsea Barracks bomb in which two civilians – 59 year old widow Nora Field and 18 year old Irishman John Breslin were brutally murdered and dozens of others were injured.
“To give such an individual a role in the oversight of education is frankly sickening.
“No society should view this as normal or acceptable.
“The Assembly rightly deemed Kavanagh unfit to hold office as a Special Adviser when it passed Ann’s Law. He has no business sitting on the board of the Education Authority. Sadly – due to the pan-nationalist front of Sinn Fein, the SDLP and Alliance – my Bill which would have removed Kavanagh from the board and obviously prevented his re-appointment today was defeated.
“The public will expect no less than the appointment of a bomber to a role in the education of our youth from Sinn Fein. What is important to remember today, however, is that Kavanagh only holds this position because of the decision of the SDLP and Alliance to block legislation which would have sent a clear message that crime does not pay. When it came to the bit Alliance decided to protect a bomber’s ability to shape the education system and in doing so grossly insulted many innocent victims of terror.”