A Sinn Fein TD says an apology from former leader Gerry Adams 'would be helpful' in light of growing criticism of a Christmas sketch.
Victims of Provisional IRA violence have condemned Adams for a Christmas comedy sketch in which he sings, “Tis' the season to be jolly, tiocfaidh ar lá, lá, lá, lá”.
The video, which has been widely condemned, has also been turned into a Christmas card with the greeting on the front and the greeting “have a Gerry Christmas”.
In the video, Mr Adams visits a house as a carol singer and the houseowner repeats the slogan that Mr Adams first said in August 1995 in relation to the Provisional IRA: “They haven’t gone away you know”.
Ann Travers, whose sister Mary (22) was shot dead by IRA gunmen in 1984, was among those to criticise the sketch.
She said that anybody who “thinks this is funny lacks emotional intelligence”.
Speaking on Deise Today with Damien Tiernan, Sinn Fein Spokesperson on Housing, Eoin O'Broin, says an apology from Adams 'would be helpful'.
"I don't believe for a second that Gerry either intended to cause hurt or offence to anybody, I really don't. Given the fact that offence has been caused - I think an apology would be helpful."
Deputy O'Broin noted how he takes the issues of trauma and legacy 'really importantly' - as does Gerry Adams himself.
"We need to ensure that all of the mechanisms that had been agreed by all political parties to deal with the legacies of the conflict, are properly addressed - and properly implemented. Too often, not in this conversation - but too often, when I'm on the floor of the Dail, and people throw this stuff at Sinn Fein, I don't believe that they are in anyway interested in tackling the deep substantive issues that arise after 30 years of conflict."
The Dublin Mid-West TD says politicians must move on and deal with the consequences of the Troubles, and Adams has been at the forefront of efforts to do so.
"I think if any of us say anything, even if it unintentionally causes hurt - we should apologise for it. Lets also move on as politicians and deal with the very heavy lifting of dealing with consequences of thirty years of armed conflict, significant loss of life and trauma. There is lots of hard work that needs to be done and Gerry and others are doing that work day in, day out."
"Tiocfaidh ar la is a political slogan. It means our day will come. For republicans like me, when that's said, it means our day will come in terms of a United Ireland. That's what it means. It is a long-standing political slogan. I don't have a problem with it being used, but what I am saying is as we are navigating our way out of conflict - through conflict resolution - hopefully to a united and agreed Ireland, all of us have to be very mindful of the language that we use. That doesn't mean that we have to stop using all of the language of the past."
Deputy O'Broin, who visited Waterford yesterday, says that Sinn Fein TDs and representatives cannot undo the hurt of the past, but what they can do is work toward building a better future.
"I'm acutely aware of what happened. There is nothing that I can do t0 undo the hurt, pain, trauma, that Republicans - including people that I have worked with very closely and directly for years - have caused. What I, David Cullinane, and our generation of republicans can do - is make sure that we never return to conflict ever again, and do everything we can to build as peaceful and united a future as possible. Will we make mistakes along the way, yes we will. If you make a mistake, hold up your hand, apologise - and learn from the mistake."
You can hear the full interview on Tuesday's Deise Today with Damien Tiernan from 10am here on WLR.
