The Taoiseach yesterday said the Fr Alec Reid was a "great man" but had made remarks that were "not advisable" as it emerged that a solicitor and leading DUP activist has lodged a complaint about the "Nazi" comment made by the Belfast priest last week.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed yesterday that officers in south Belfast had "received a complaint following an alleged incident that occurred at a public meeting" last Wednesday and an investigation had been started.
The complaint was made on behalf of Willie Frazer of the Protestant victims group, Families Acting for Innocent Relatives, by solicitor and DUP MLA Arlene Foster. After Mr Frazer was said by witnesses to have rhetorically "baited" Fr Reid, the priest said that the nationalist community had been persecuted for up to 60 years by the unionist community, treated almost like animals by them and "treated like the Nazis treated the Jews".
Ms Foster said at the weekend that Mr Frazer felt he had to act, not only for himself but others who had contacted him.
"A lot of people contacted his office to express their distress," she said. "He also has been taunted by nationalists giving him Nazi salutes and shouting 'Heil Hitler'."
Ms Foster said it would be up to the police if they decided to proceed with a prosecution. She added: "We feel the public order act could be used to bring a complaint. It says a person who uses threatening or abusive or insulting words or behaviour is guilty." Fr Reid was embroiled in fresh controversy 24 hours after his Nazi outburst when he told a BBC current affairs programme that he refused to accept the IRA leadership was behind the £26.5 million Northern Bank robbery in Belfast last December.
He said the IRA leadership had denied involvement in the robbery and added: "I believe absolutely that they had no truck with it." Fr Reid went on to say IRA so-called punishment attacks were the result of "an absence of a police force that has functionality in nationalist districts".
The Taoiseach yesterday described Fr Reid as "a great man" who "has done enormous work. He has been the one person that has been involved ... right through since 1988. The part that he played in the recent decommissioning has been a major part as well.
"His remarks, of course, were not advisable remarks to be making, but I have now listened to some people who were in the room." He said these witnesses had told him that Fr Reid had reacted to a remark that the first bullets that started the whole conflict were fired from his monastery in Clonard.
"He took deep offence to that. And as soon as he had done that he apologised immediately, he reacted to provocation, he shouldn't have but who doesn't do that at times?
"Fr Alec Reid won't mind me saying that he is an old man, he hasn't had the best of health.
"He has nothing to answer, he has done a good job and he shouldn't be trying to answer for all of the rest of us and I think it should be seen in that light. It's not fair on him."