Members of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) told the Minister for Justice yesterday that an early release for Jerry McCabe's killers would be seen as "a most grave matter by the GRA and the whole Garda force".
A GRA member close to the McCabe family told Mr O'Donoghue that any change in that position would cause "extreme hurt" to the family.
The 26-member national executive had a "constructive" one-hour meeting with Mr O'Donoghue yesterday. The meeting was requested by the GRA after the conviction of four men charged with the capital murder of Det Garda McCabe on a reduced charge of manslaughter.
Mr O'Donoghue reiterated the Government stance on the four men, according to a spokesman. "He repeated the commitment made in the Dail that the killers do not qualify under the terms of the Belfast Agreement."
A senior GRA source said the Limerick representative, Garda Paul Brown, told Mr O'Donoghue it would "cause serious difficulties and extreme hurt to the entire McCabe family if that decision changes now or at any time in the future".
Mr O'Donoghue also outlined measures to prevent the intimidation of witnesses which are to be included in the Criminal Justice Bill. He "also undertook to consider proposals from the GRA" on changes to legislation. The Secretary General at the Department of Justice, Mr Tim Dalton, and other officials attended the meeting in the Department.
Last week, the GRA said the law should be changed so anyone who was a member of a gang responsible for murdering a member of the security forces would be charged with capital murder.
The GRA source said the association would be "monitoring" the four sentences.
