Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

Aontaíonn Sinn Féin le achan focal a dúirt an Taoiseach faoi dúnmharú Ronan Kerr. Bhí muidne leis an teaghlach ag an áit deacair agus brónach ina saol. Bhí mé sa Tuaisceart Dé Domhnaigh agus inné ag obair le Martin McGuinness agus daoine eile sa Tionól. Táimid ag déanamh ár ndícheall chun a rá go soiléir nach ghlacann phobal nó muintir na hÉireann leis an dúnmharú seo.

I agree with every word the Taoiseach said in regard to the murder of Constable Ronan Kerr. I was in the North on Sunday and Monday and, in concert with the Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness and others in the Executive, spelled out clearly our views in regard to that dreadful action.

When I asked the Taoiseach two weeks ago to urgently raise with the British Government its unilateral decision to do away with the 50:50 - 50% Catholic and 50% Protestant - recruitment policy in respect of the PSNI, I did not contemplate the murder of this young man, whom I did not know but whose father and grandfather come from Andersonstown in West Belfast. His grandfather still lives there. Although I did not know Constable Kerr, I presume he joined the PSNI because of the changes, brought about collectively by us, in that service. A 50:50 recruitment policy is crucial. The British Government took a decision and did away with that policy although it had no right to do so. The Irish Government is an equal partner to the Good Friday Agreement. The Patten report is an essential part of that agreement.

It is not clear from the Taoiseach's reply whether he made representations in this regard immediately after my having raised the matter with him in the House. If he did, the British Government ignored him. I do not say that to make any point other than that the current British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has taken a number of solo runs with this international agreement and other agreements. It is difficult for any Irish Republican to have confidence in a British Secretary of State. I acknowledge that we, like the Irish Government, have developed working relationships with a series of secretaries of State. However, I have no confidence whatsoever in the current British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. Owen Paterson.

The young man concerned joined the police service to, according to his mother, be part of the quest for equality for all. Mrs. Kerr also spoke of a neutral police service being necessary for our country. I beseech the Taoiseach - it is as important as that - to take up all of these matters with the British on an ongoing basis.

I ask the Leas-Cheann Comhairle to indulge me for a moment. I know Deputies will have an opportunity to discuss the murder of Ronan Kerr later. In dealing with those outworkings of the St. Andrews Agreement which have not been implemented and other issues - in this respect I welcome the commitment from the Government on cross-Border infrastructural and regeneration projects and, like the Taoiseach, I am lobbying on the International Fund for Ireland - it is inappropriate to lump together the three or four serious issues involved.

We will go toe to toe with the so-called dissidents. However, it does not help the case we are trying to make if the British Government is reneging on outstanding parts of the Agreement or breaking essential parts of it. I ask the Taoiseach, as a matter of grave urgency, to place this issue on the British Prime Minister's agenda and, with our friends in the USA and elsewhere, ensure that the peace process, the Good Friday Agreement and other agreements are implemented as they should be implemented.

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