Shatter calls for redaction of 'Arbeit macht frei' reference in Ronan's banking-inquiry evidence
The former justice minister Alan Shatter has called on developer Johnny Ronan to amend his evidence to the Banking Inquiry after it used words linked to Nazi concentration camps.
The developer's written evidence to the inquiry includes the phrase "Arbeit macht frei", which appeared on the gates at several concentration camps, including Auschwitz and Dachau. The German phrase means 'work makes you free'.
Johnny Ronan claimed in his statement that Nama had destroyed his business. He signed off the statement with the line: "‘Arbeit macht frei’ nó, i nGaeilge, ‘Tugann saothar saoirse’."
Deputy Shatter (pictured), who is Jewish, said he could only assume Johnny Ronan did not know the origin of the phrase, or how it was misused.
He also called on the inquiry to redact the phrase so that it no longer appeared on the Oireachtas website.
"It is totally bizarre that he felt the need to have the statement translated into Irish", Mr Shatter said.
"I can only presume that he did not know the origin of the phrase or its misuse to seductively encourage people to cooperate in their own death and destruction and in that of their loved ones".
"I am calling on Mr Ronan to formally seek to have this phrase removed from his statement and to provide an explanation for its original inclusion".
