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Gerry Adams at Leinster House today

Gerry Adams: People who were involved in the IRA are not criminals

The Sinn Féin leader has been answering questions for a fourth day in a row about Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy’s conviction.

GERRY ADAMS DOES not believe people involved in the IRA are criminals as he faced more questions about the conviction of prominent republican Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy today.

The Sinn Féin leader’s description of convicted tax evader Murphy as a “good republican”, who was denied the right to face trial by a jury of his peers, has caused considerable political controversy since the weekend.

He said he had not spoken to Murphy about his conviction, has not spoken to him about his case, and does not recall the last time he spoke to him.

Adams told reporters at Leinster House:

I don’t believe that people who were involved in the IRA, if he was involved in the IRA, are criminal.

Adams reiterated his opposition to Murphy being tried before the non-jury Special Criminal Court, describing the legislation behind it as “draconian”.

“If Tom Murphy, as I have said publicly, is guilty of any offences then he will have to pay whatever sanction is made against him,” he insisted.

The Louth TD faced series of questions related to action taken by the Criminal Assets Bureau against Murphy. Adams said Murphy contested all of this.

Asked how he knew Murphy, Adams said: “I know this man through the engagement we did in the peace process, when he supported a series of propositions which our leadership brought forward.

“By the way, even though Tom Murphy played a leadership role in the development and winning support for the peace process, I am not arguing that anybody should be above the law. No one should be above the law.”

Read: Very few Sinn Féin-ers want to talk about the ‘Slab’ Murphy story

Read: Adams stands by ‘Slab’ Murphy comments and thinks critics are ‘hysterical’

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    Mute patrick
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    Dec 25th 2015, 12:22 AM

    Happy Christmas everyone

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    Mute casey
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    Dec 25th 2015, 1:29 AM

    Hope you post some news tomorrow (or rather today) as it is just another day for some of us (no choice) Hate Christmas it reminds me of all the good people that have died…..

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    Dec 24th 2015, 11:34 PM

    “toed by swimmers “?

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    Dec 24th 2015, 9:06 PM

    About 100 cars up on footpaths and on double yellow lines onNewtown Park Ave at the Catholic Church, in Sandymount at the mosque about 40 cars clamped last year for parking outside their place of worship. Seems rather unchristian. Donnybrook church is worse as people park on the duel carriage way and not one clamp. They probably speak Irish – is that the trick or have the Clampers been told to clamp Muslims?

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    Mute rupertl
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    Dec 25th 2015, 12:38 AM

    Just watched that thing about dunphy ,which ye laughed at. shame . The man has a heart ,he speaks his mind just doesn’t know how to deliver it. incase he loses the job .

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