Derry car bomb attack widely condemned

There has been widespread condemnation of a car bomb attack in Londonderry. The bomb was left close to a bank, shops and Da Vinci's hotel on the Culmore Road on Monday night.

DAVID FORD, JUSTICE MINISTER

"Those who planted this bomb have been rejected by the people of Ireland, both north and south and they will not be allowed to succeed in their attempts to drag Northern Ireland back to the past.

"Once again the PSNI showed great courage in moving residents out of their homes and away from danger."

MARTIN MCGUINNESS, DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER

"These conflict junkies are attempting to drive a city living very much to the future, back to the past.

"People in this city are horrified that there are still these Neanderthals within our society."

KEN GOOD, CHURCH OF IRELAND BISHOP FOR DERRY AND RAPHOE

"This destructive act offers nothing hopeful or constructive to the citizens of our community.

"Ordinary people are left to deal with the consequences of an act by those who represent no-one and who offer no hope to themselves or their fellow citizens."

COLUM EASTWOOD, MAYOR OF DERRY

"I do not know what these people are hoping to achieve.

"They say they love their country but they spend their time trying to destroy it. The people of this city will be very angry."

GREGORY CAMPBELL, DUP ASSEMBLY MEMBER FOR FOYLE

"We need information from local people, translated into evidence before a court and a conviction.

"Let's get beyond condemnation and get these people behind bars."

GARVAN O'DOHERTY, OWNER OF DA VINCI'S HOTEL

"The people who put the bomb in place will probably end up in jail and the young people being sucked into this issue are going to pay a heavy price in the future.

"There needs to be dialogue. There is dialogue. There is dialogue going on to try and sort this issue out, to try and understand where they (dissidents) are coming from."

TAOISEACH BRIAN COWEN

"I think it's an appalling incident which serves no political purpose.

"The co-operation of the Garda and the PSNI on these issues, which is very, very good - unprecedentedly close in every way - they will continue to work together to see in what way we can identify the perpetrators and make sure they're brought to justice."

RAYMOND MCCARTNEY, SINN FEIN ASSEMBLY MEMBER FOR FOYLE

"The city has told these people - and indeed the people of Ireland have told these people - they have absolutely nothing to offer and they should heed that word.

"The only thing they're doing is giving sustenance to people who want the peace process not to work and there's absolutely nothing that they're offering the people of Ireland."

MARK DURKAN, MP FOR FOYLE

"This attack is supposedly in the name of Ireland but disrupting and damaging this city will do little for the cause of Ireland.

"The people behind this are stuck in the tired old Provo-style ways which prove no point other than a capacity to carry out these types of attack."

BASIL MCCREA, ULSTER UNIONIST POLICING SPOKESMAN

"This morning commuters will be facing long tail backs on their way to work, school children will have been delayed getting to class, businesses will suffer as some have been asked to remain closed due to the security threat.

"This type of attack by dissidents is an attack on the whole community and must be condemned."

BRIAN REA, ACTING CHAIRMAN OF THE POLICING BOARD

"Board members are due to meet with community representatives in Da Vinci's later this week to discuss the policing of domestic abuse in the area.

"This is the type of issue that the local community want the police to be dealing with and they have no time for those responsible for this attack which has only served to cause inconvenience and disruption to their lives."

JIM ALLISTER, TRADITIONAL UNIONIST VOICE LEADER

"A lot more than cute cliches is required from IRA/Sinn Fein to defeat the present manifestation of IRA terrorism.

"They created the monster of IRA terror, they know every volunteer who ever served them and every one who detached from them. So, IRA/Sinn Fein know who is doing the bombing."

DUNCAN MORROW, COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVE

"This reckless attack on the commercial and tourist life of the city serves no purpose other than to try to spoil the hard work of very many people who have been trying to make it a better place to live and to visit.

"This is a sustained attack on the promise of a shared and better future."