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Ann Travers 'more hopeful' after McDonnell meeting | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
An IRA victim's sister says she was "more hopeful" the SDLP would not block a bill that would prevent former prisoners guilty of serious offences becoming Stormont special advisers. | |
Ann Travers was speaking after a meeting with the party's leadership. | |
An SDLP MLA had indicated his party would seek to block the bill after failing to amend several aspects of it. | |
Ms Travers' sister Mary was shot dead by the IRA almost 30 years ago. | |
Earlier this week, Ms Travers accused the SDLP of "putting two fingers up to victims", but now believes they might change their minds. | |
The party could use a petition of concern to stop the bill from becoming law. | The party could use a petition of concern to stop the bill from becoming law. |
The petition requires 30 or more signatures and triggers a cross-community vote in the assembly. | The petition requires 30 or more signatures and triggers a cross-community vote in the assembly. |
Ms Travers said she did not know if the SDLP was representing victims or victim-makers. | Ms Travers said she did not know if the SDLP was representing victims or victim-makers. |
The Traditional Unionist Voice brought forward the bill after ex-prisoner Mary McArdle was appointed as an adviser to a Sinn Fein minister. | The Traditional Unionist Voice brought forward the bill after ex-prisoner Mary McArdle was appointed as an adviser to a Sinn Fein minister. |
McArdle was convicted of the murder of Mary Travers, who was shot as she left Mass with her father in Belfast in 1984. | |
The bill seeks to ban anyone who has been sentenced to more than five years in prison from taking up a post in the future. | The bill seeks to ban anyone who has been sentenced to more than five years in prison from taking up a post in the future. |
Sinn Fein, which has 29 MLAs, is opposed to the bill and if the party joined forces with the SDLP's 14 MLAs, both parties would be able to secure a petition of concern. | Sinn Fein, which has 29 MLAs, is opposed to the bill and if the party joined forces with the SDLP's 14 MLAs, both parties would be able to secure a petition of concern. |