Sinn Fein minister Conor Murphy has apologised to the family of murdered Paul Quinn for comments he made about following his death.
The young Monaghan man, 21, died after being brutally beaten by a gang in October 2007.
The Minister for Finance in Northern Ireland had alleged that murder victim Paul Quinn was involved in criminality before his death in 2007.
Today, Mr Murphy said: "Remarks that I made at the time of his killing are a matter of regret.
"I am sorry that that has added to the grief that the family has felt. I want to apologise to them for that.
"I want to withdraw those remarks."
He added that he hoped to meet Mr Quinn's family in "the near future".
Earlier today the mother of Paul Quinn said she will not meet Mr Murphy until he apologises publicly for branding him a criminal.
Breege Quinn called on Sinn Fein to fire Mr Murphy as a minister.
"He is not fit to be in government," she told BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show.
"Mary Lou [McDonald] should just step him down."
She added: "Has he any idea what we are going through, what he has put us through?"
