Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this vital issue. As someone living close to the Border and with many contacts in Northern Ireland, I possibly understand more about the benefits of peace and what a long-term solution can do to create industry, commerce and good relations on this island. I refer to a comment by my colleague, Deputy Coveney, about a mind-set. I find it hard to understand how anyone can go to church, Mass or whatever, and be involved in murdering or maiming somebody in the name of religion. A visit to Poland to see what had happened there — man's inhumanity to man — changed my understanding of that. I saw the railroads and the stations that had been built, although thank God we did not go that far here. However, there is, in many ways, a mind-set problem we must get over.

I welcome the fact our party leader, Deputy Kenny, was able to find a mechanism with the Government to enable a united approach to this serious issue. Yesterday, I met some of my colleagues from Monaghan, a Border county, after a council meeting at which a resolution had been put forward questioning criminality, paramilitarism and all that stands for. The resolution basically condemned such activities and sought to ensure the Good Friday Agreement was implemented in full. It was proposed by a Fianna Fáil member and seconded by a Fine Gael member. For the first time in the history of the State, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin made a unanimous decision. Perhaps we can question what some people believe about criminality but at least the council did not split on it. I remember when I became a member of the council in 1991, all too often if someone proposed a vote of sympathy or condemnation of murder or otherwise, they were accused of being anti-peace and anti-political. There is no doubt that wee have come a long way in the past ten years.

Illegal oil is an ongoing issue in the Border area. I rang a Garda barracks along the Border this evening to ask if there had been any finds of oil wash. Oil wash is lethal sulphuric acid, which is dumped in drums, some of which are only plastic, along side roads or main roads. This week some were found in Mullyash, north of Castleblayney, and some close to the main Dundalk road. In Mullyash, the drums were found quite close to a community centre. One can only imagine what would happen if one of those drums burst, which has happened. Monaghan County Council workers along with the fire brigade had to remove those drums. Given its composition, this oil wash must be exported to Germany. In 2004, Monaghan County Council spent approximately €500,000 dealing with this type of waste. It is bad for the economy and is an issue that must be addressed.

Before Christmas we all thought agreement was close, especially when we saw the like of the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party coming so close to it. It is something about which we never dreamt. It is so sad that the issue of decommissioning once again raised its head. The Agreement can save lives and bring peace and prosperity. As Minister for Tourism and Trade many years ago, my party leader was involved in bringing people on both sides of the Border together to deal with tourism. We have come a long way since then and there is now one body. That is what can be gained but it can only be gained if crime, punishment beatings and decommissioning are dealt with. I urge all who believe in the democratic system, or who claim to believe in it, to deal with these issues once and for all.

When the Good Friday Agreement was published, I remember I had a specific interest in two issues, although there was much more to it and I do not suggest resolution of these issues would solve all the problems. One issue was decommissioning which I felt might not happen but that at least an effort should be made to deal with it. The second issue was the release of all prisoners. As far as I recall, both those issues were to be resolved within two years. To my astonishment, the prisoners issue was dealt with almost instantly and people who had been involved in all sorts of heinous crime, including murder, walked free, yet the decommissioning issue continues many years later. It is time for people to decide whether they want to use democratic means or the ballot box and the gun. I strongly urge those who have control over such people to make sure we achieve that peace for which so many people here voted and in which they believe.

I recognise the efforts of the Taoiseach, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Whether Government or Opposition, everybody has played his or her part in trying to bring about peace. I was very angry about the lack of apologies following some of the prisoner releases. Other issues annoyed many of us over the years. The Garda Jerry McCabe one has been highlighted as one totally unacceptable to some of us. However, people generally bent over backwards. I bit my tongue on many occasions and said nothing when the media and others contacted me to make a comment about what was happening because I believed there was a bigger goal to be won and that we should make every effort to win it.

I do not know about any other Member of this House but the IRA's statement of last week signed by a certain gentleman sent shivers down my spine even though it was only two lines. It certainly caused much consternation North and South of the Border. Most of the murders over the past 30 or so years took place in the immediate Border area. While atrocities took place in Dublin and elsewhere, most of the deaths, maiming and displacement of families occurred in the Border areas. There is still a clear memory of Omagh. People know who carried out the Omagh bombing and I urge them to come forward or to use some mechanism to ensure those responsible are put behind bars so as to remove the anxieties of those who deserve some answers.

I do not wish to isolate the IRA in this. I say clearly that all paramilitary groups must stop their actions. It must be across the board. To claim there is a difference between a killing committed by the IRA and one carried out by the UVF is to fool oneself.

I am proud to be a member of the British-Irish Interparliamentary Body and am glad that body is meeting once again in the province of Ulster. Unfortunately, however, it is meeting in County Donegal and not in any of the Six Counties of Northern Ireland. We should be able to meet and engage with all parties anywhere on this island. The British-Irish Interparliamentary Body has done much to bring people together and to encourage dialogue, and the meeting from 6 to 8 March will be useful. I again urge those in the Unionist parties to take up their positions in that group, where they will have an opportunity to partake in discussion and dialogue.

I support my leader's call for the National Forum on Peace and Reconciliation to meet in Dublin Castle so that everybody can debate the future of the peace process. We cannot allow it to fester. We would all like to say that nothing more should happen. However, if nothing happens, the consequences will be dire. We have a different relationship with Sinn Féin than that which existed ten years ago. I ask my colleagues in that party to use the power they claimed to have at the signing of the Good Friday Agreement to convince the IRA of what it needs to do. If the IRA does what it promised by decommissioning and giving up criminality, we will be able to persuade others to do that which Sinn Féin has requested of them.

This is a crisis for Sinn Féin-IRA. It is serious for the entire country and time is not on our side. There must be action now.

See this speech in context