Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams will address the Dáil on Brian Stack murder

Gerry Adams Photo: Tom Burke

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams will make a special Dáil statement on the murder of prison officer, Brian Stack.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny had thrown down the gauntlet to Mr Adams, saying he should tell all he knows about the IRA murder of Brian Stack in 1983. There was also pressure on the Sinn Fein leader from the other political leaders.

Mr Kenny was replying to Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin, who said Gerry Adams only revealed what he knew about the 1983 murder of Mr Stack during last February’s general election campaign.

The Fianna Fáil leader said Mr Adams had known about it since 2013. He said at that time Mr Stack’s sons were taken in a blacked-out van to meet IRA members who knew about the murder of their father.

“We are talking about murder – not an election campaign. The Provos know who did it,” Mr Martin told the Dáil.

When it came to his turn to speak, Mr Adams briefly accused Mr Martin of “opportunism” and abusing his good faith in contacts with the Stack family. 

Gerry Adams Photo: Tom Burke

Then the Sinn Féin leader launched into a long discussion of maternity facilities at Portlaoise Hospital.

But some time later Mr Adams said he would speak on the Stack murder.

He said he had already dealt with the matter but would make a Dáil statement when time was made available to him.

“But let me make it clear that I have never accused anyone of being a suspect in the murder of Brian Stack because I don’t know who the suspects might be,” Mr Adams said.

Mr Kenny had told the Fianna Fáil leader that the situation was completely unacceptable as Mr Stack and his prison officer colleagues helped defend the State when it was in peril. “It was a brutal and cold-blooded murder at the hands of IRA thugs,” the Taoiseach said.

The Taoiseach challenged Mr Adams to use Dáil privilege to reveal all he knows about the murder. He said senior members of any other party would not be allowed let matters lie as they currently are.

The Labour leader, Brendan Howlin, then intervened to say Dáil time should be set aside to allow Mr Adams deal with the issue of Brian Stack’s murder.

Online Editors