Uproar in Dail over IRA funeral display

THE DAIL was adjourned in uproar yesterday as John Bruton, leader of the Fine Gael opposition party, disrupted proceedings with repeated questions on how an IRA colour party was allowed to give military honours at the funeral of a man killed during last Saturday's UVF attack on a Dublin pub.

The 10-strong group in black leather jackets and berets, saluted as the coffin of Martin Doherty, 35, was carried from his house in Finglas, north Dublin, draped in the Irish tricolour and with a beret and gloves placed on top. Photographs of the IRA party featured prominently in Irish newspapers.

Mr Bruton demanded to know if the government was prepared to enforce the law. He was ruled out of order amid noisy scenes. After a half-hour adjournment, Fine Gael returned to the attack when its justice spokesman, Gay Mitchell, asked if gardai had been at the scene and how they had responded.

The temperature rose sharply when the Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds, was interrupted from the Fine Gael benches as he indicated time had been allocated later for law and order questions. Amid shouting, he claimed the Opposition leader was 'only interested in 9 June (the European election) and playing politics'.

Mr Bruton retorted: 'Members of this party have given their lives for the protection of this state. You are charged with the responsibility for enforcing law and order in this country and you are not able to do it.'

Mr Bruton said later: 'This sort of public flouting of the law . . . could damage the image of Ireland abroad.'

A government spokesman claimed similar paramilitary displays had also happened when Fine Gael had been in power.