Ulster Unionists on Fermanagh & Omagh Council have submitted a motion for debate in relation to recent comments made by the Council Chairman regarding the Enniskillen bomb. It calls for Councillor McCann to retract those comments and if he fails to do so, for Michelle O`Neill to have Councillor McCann replaced as Council Chairman.
Councillor Howard Thornton said:
“There is much anger within the wider Fermanagh & Omagh community that the Council Chairman - who is of course expected to represent everyone - not only refused to condemn the 1987 IRA bomb in Enniskillen, which murdered 11 people and injured over 60, but also praised the ruthless IRA terrorist Seamus McElwaine.
“It is unacceptable for the First Citizen of the District to so blatantly ignore the deep hurt and feelings of a very large section of residents of the area, most importantly those victims who have suffered due to the indiscriminate Enniskillen bomb and the terrorist actions of McElwaine.
Councillor Chris Smyth said:
“Sinn Fein talk about equality, respect and integrity, and that is what we all want. However there are none of those qualities coming from the Sinn Fein representatives and certainly none from Chairman McCann in his recent interview.
“The Chairman now has an opportunity to redeem himself and his office through this motion calling on him to retract his comments, otherwise we can have no confidence with him in his role as Chairman and call upon his Party`s Leader in Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill, to have Councillor McCann replaced as Chairman.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Motion to Fermanagh & Omagh District Council (Standing Order 16)
That this Council rejects the comments of the Council Chairman, Councillor Stephen McCann made in a local newspaper published on the 6th July 2017 that he will not condemn the 1987 Enniskillen bomb and that he has praised the ruthless IRA terrorist Seamus McElwaine.
In the interests of equality, respect and integrity Council calls on Chairman McCann to retract these comments; in the absence of so doing Council have no confidence in the Chairman and write to the Leader of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill to request he is replaced as Chairman of Fermanagh & Omagh Council.