Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)

I listened to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform define his constitutional republicanism and I would not find myself a stranger in that land. Too often, we in this country have had to accept there was only one type of republican. I hope we are all seen as republicans. I was born in this country and became a citizen of the Republic in 1949. My allegiance is to the flag, the President, the Army, the Garda Síochána and the institutions of the State. Surely, that is good enough for any man or woman in this country to term himself or herself a republican in the true sense of the word.

I listened to Deputy Ó Caoláin. As usual, he stated that his mandate is not being adequately recognised. I put it to him and the entire Sinn Féin Party that their mandate is more than recognised here, and it is being firmly enhanced and reinforced. We all have a mandate to come to the House to speak — that is why we are here and it is the reason Deputies Ó Caoláin and Ferris are here. They have their mandate but it is firmly enhanced and stronger than my mandate because when I speak in the House and want to convince people of my argument, I try to do so by the force of that argument, not by other force. Let me leave it at that.

The only mandate not being recognised in this country is that of the overwhelming majority of the Irish people who in 1998 voted for the Good Friday Agreement. That mandate is not being recognised by Sinn Féin and certainly not by the IRA. Until we get them to recognise it, progress will be very limited.

Democracy and the rule of law in this country have made many sacrifices in the past seven years in nurturing what has become known as the peace process. However, the intractable barriers and obstacles are as permanent today as they were seven years ago — echoes of the steeples of Fermanagh and Tyrone. Arsenals have not been decommissioned. Criminality, punishment beatings, intimidation, extortion and general lawlessness have become almost institutionalised in Northern Ireland. Moreover, while some of us may be reluctant to admit it publicly, it is also spreading, whether we like it, into our jurisdiction. Money laundering and other criminal activities are thriving on both sides of the Border.

The Irish and British Governments have tolerated and turned a blind eye to these activities in the vain hope of coaxing the republican movement into the democratic fold. One of the least acceptable results of this appeasement is its disastrous consequences for the body politic in Northern Ireland. It has obliterated the parties of moderation in Northern Ireland. The SDLP and other parties have been sidelined because of this appeasement.

This has not been confined to the Governments. Amazingly, the media has participated in this cozy arrangement and our national broadcaster has joined this consensus. A few weeks ago, I watched a television bulletin following the major meeting between the Government and representatives of Sinn Féin. It was disgraceful that representatives of Sinn Féin and others were interviewed for five or six minutes whereas Ministers only came in as an afterthought; they came a poor second and third. Such a situation should not be allowed to continue and our national broadcast media should be brought to heel on the issue.

See this speech in context