Fasts ‘hurting S. Ireland’

Press, 3 August 1981, Page 8

Fasts ‘hurting S. Ireland’

NZPA-Reuter Dublin The former Irish Prime Minister, Charles Haughey, said yesterday the Irish Republic was paying a price for the prison hunger strikes in Northern Ireland and the cost was becoming intolerable.

“There is an increasing level of violence and lawlessness, normal political activity is impeded and our economy is being harmed,” he said.

Earlier yesterday a seventh Irish guerrilla, Kevin Lynch, died after fasting for 71 days in the Maze prison near Belfast Lynch was a convicted member of the Irish National Liberation Army. The death of another Maze prisoner was also imminent He is Kieran Doherty, aged 25, an Irish Republican Army member serving 22 years for possessing explosives. Doherty, who has fasted for 72 days, is a member of

the Irish Parliament He won a seat in the June General Election.

Mr Haughey, ousted in the election, urged Britain to act now to secure a settlement and prevent more deaths. ■

“In this country we are paying the price for the lack of a settlement and the cost is becoming intolerable,” he said. Dublin had its worst riots in more than a decade last month when a crowd sympathising with the hunger strikers tried to storm the British Embassy.

The republic's tourist trade has suffered in the rising tension over the fasts, which aim to win noncriminal status for guerrilla prisoners. Meanwhile Downing Street admitted yesterday that Mrs Margaret Thatcher had a meeting with the Primate of All Ireland (Cardinal Tomas O’Fiaich) at which the crisis surrounding the I.R.A. hun-ger-strikers was discussed.