The most evil people in the country will get away with murder and the most hideous of crimes if Ireland doesn't keep the Special Criminal Court, a veteran TD has warned.
The Louth deputy Fergus O Dowd of Fine Gael also urged Sinn Fein to change its position and support the non-jury court.
He said; "If we look at criminality and the fear and loathing of people who carry out the most evil crimes in our society, many of them were brought before the Special Criminal Court.
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"This was done because of intimidation of jurors or because people were afraid to give evidence or even sit on juries as they would be eyelined, named and attacked, and certainly intimidated.
"Let us look at the people who were convicted by the Special Criminal Court.
"They include John Gilligan. Brian Meehan for the murder of Veronica Guerin, Pearse McAuley, Jeremiah Sheehy, Michael O Neill and Kevin Walsh for the murder of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe, Michael McKevitt for directing terrorism as leader of the Real IRA, and John Dundon for the murder of Shane Geoghegan and so on.
"The list goes on and on. Jonathan Dowdall who featured in the Gerry Hutch trial was convicted not once but twice by the Special Criminal Court."
Deputy O'Dowd claimed the question for Sinn Fein when legislation on the Special Criminal Court comes before the Dail is that it has never supported it but abstained.
He added; "If Deputy Mary Lou McDonald is in government what will happen to the Special Criminal Court and the other Jonathan Dowdalls who are out there?
"What will happen to the juries that could very well be intimidated by people who are brought before the court and convicted? That is a fundamental and real question for her to answer."
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