Sammy Wilson, the guy who made that comment, has been fanning the flames of hatred in Ireland for a generation now. He is a member if the DUP which often flirts with sectarian terrorists including Billy Wright, or 'King Rat' as he is affectionately referred to by loyalists loyal to the British crown.
Sammy Wilson is also the same DUP councilor who proposed a resolution congratulating the UDA death squad who assassinated Sinn Féin Councilor Eddie Fullerton in 1991. He also described Sinn Féin voters as `sub human animals' and once declared `Taigs aren't ratepayers'. Hardly the best source of information on Dick Egans visit to the Sinn Fein conference.
He's only one of many sources. The newspapers published the motions that there to be debated at the terrorist convention.
Here's an interesting bit of trivia - Wright was nicknamed 'King Rat' by O'Hagan. He told the journalist that 'what happens to me or my family will happen to you and yours tenfold'. It looks like Wright's mates decided to finally make good on his promise. I'm surprised that more journalists haven't been killed in NI over the years - to my knowledge O'Hagan was the first.