A chara, - The Labour Party leader, Pat Rabbitte, wants the Dáil to call for the disbandment of the IRA (The Irish Times, November 8th). Mark Hennessy is correct to say that this demonstrates a "more combative approach towards Sinn Féin and the IRA". In other words, it is a piece of political opportunism. I hope the November 13th Labour Parliamentary Party decision not to allow Joe Costello TD to witness the trial of the Colombia Three is not also a symptom of this new approach.
While on the subject of combat, I am not aware that Mr Rabbitte made a similar call in relation to the "Official IRA" while it was actively linked to the alphabet soup party - Official Sinn Féin, Sinn Féin the Workers' Party, the Workers' Party - that Mr Rabbitte was a leading member of.
However, Mr Rabbitte and his leadership coterie have been consistent in opposing the IRA and Sinn Féin. It is possibly their one and only consistency.
It is not surprising that, as the new Labour Party leader, Mr Rabbitte should attempt to re-energise his tattered bandwagon. What is interesting is whether his knee-jerk anti-republicanism will sit comfortably with all sections of the parliamentary Labour Party and of that party generally.
In political terms today Mr Rabbitte has joined the Unionist Party (not for the first time!) in being unable to single out unionist sectarianism and its violent effects for criticism.Unless he can address these questions honestly he will be exposed as an opportunist on a sticky wicket. -Is mise,
Cllr NICKY KEHOE,
(Sinn Féin),
Dublin City Council,
Dublin 1.