Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Now that Patrick Ryan has both admitted and boasted of his major role in bringing death and destruction to many innocents, it is imperative that, at last, he is brought to justice. His role in the importation of weapons from Libya links him to countless PIRA atrocities. His boasts about developing a new timing mechanism for bombs – used in the Brighton bombing among others – is nauseating.
“It is imperative that the BBC hands over all information about Patrick Ryan to the authorities and that all avenues are exhausted to bring this man to justice. In Brighton alone five people were murdered. Most of them were asleep when the bomb went off. Some suffocated in the rubble. Three of them were women. That is the stark reality of what we are talking about here and I will be pressing the PSNI to act immediately.
“Another important facet of this story is the reminder that the Republic played a pivotal role in facilitating the PIRA campaign. 93% of extradition requests were refused – including the attempts to bring Patrick Ryan to justice. When we talk about the legacy of the past it is outrageous that the role of the Republic as a safe haven for terrorists has been ignored in all the proposals. Republicans and Dublin are often very keen to talk about greater cross border cooperation but when it comes to looking at the role the border played in allowing PIRA terrorists to evade justice there is no interest.
“It’s time Dublin was held to account on this crucial matter and publicly apologised.”