Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)

As Deputy Kenny said, the murder of Robert McCartney was a vile and brutal act and there should be no equivocation or hesitation in describing it as such. To set upon two men, killing one and injuring another, cannot be justified. This was an act without justification.

To set about a clean-up mission following such a heinous crime, cleansing the crime scene of evidence and intimidating a large group of people into silence and submission are actions that undermine the very basis of our society. Our sense of justice and ideals of democracy and simple common decency must be outraged at these acts as well as the initial act of murder.

A murder may be carried out by a small group of people but the subsequent acts of intimidation and crime scene tampering are the work of a larger organisation. All of those involved in this assault on society — which is the very nature of the murder and attempted cover-up — should be brought to justice.

From these most dreadful acts we have seen the immense courage and conviction of a family that will not be cowed into submission or intimidated into silence by the IRA. Following the murder of Robert McCartney, his family and partner set a standard from which they have never deviated. They are asking for the truth and for all of those involved in his murder to face justice and they will not accept anything less.

Robert McCartney's family and partner have been crystal clear in what they have said and done since his awful murder and their belief and strength sends a clear message to all people on this island. Contrast this with the confused, circular messages which have emerged from Sinn Féin since the murder. The day after the murder, Sinn Féin condemned the SDLP for asserting that the IRA was responsible for the killing. The party then tried to pass off the incident as a mindless act of violence, bemoaning the growth of a knife culture. This was a deeply disingenuous attempt to make this IRA murder appear as an unfortunate bar fight but this attempt to hide the truth also failed.

Perhaps when 1,000 people attended the requiem mass for Robert McCartney, Sinn Féin realised that IRA attempts to intimidate entire communities in Northern Ireland would not be successful on this occasion. The IRA may be able to frighten individuals from coming forward, but the huge attendance at the funeral mass was a clear signal that the community would stand and oppose this intimidation together.

The denials of the IRA that it was not involved in the murder were eventually shown to be utterly and completely false with the news on 25 February that it had expelled three people from its ranks. As in the murder of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe in Adare, we were once again treated to another Sinn Féin and IRA denial of involvement which was later exposed as a lie. The statement from the IRA offering three of the 12 people suspected of being involved in the murder and subsequent cover up was rightly described by the SDLP as a highly cynical exercise. The family of the murdered man did not accept it either, saying that no one had come forward and they believed the IRA was still shielding the nine other people involved. Moreover, it was an outright insult for Sinn Féin not to call on people with information on the murder to immediately go to the police.

These double standards and deceit have damaged the current peace process and the nature of democracy on this island. In recent years it has been apparent that a blind eye has been turned to Sinn Féin and IRA criminality in this country. This has damaged our democracy and society. We cannot allow a situation to continue where one particular party enjoys all the benefits of inclusion in a democratic process that, by their actions, they then seriously undermine.

Criminality has damaged the peace process and this has become all too apparent in recent times. The Northern Bank robbery, the resumption of punishment beatings throughout Northern Ireland and the vile murder of Robert McCartney are episodes of serious and unacceptable criminal activity. A blind eye can no longer be turned to what is happening in different parts of this island.

In all of this, the Northern Ireland political process has weakened and parties, such as the SDLP, have been sidelined by the two Governments in the headlong rush to bring terrorists in from the cold. This is a shame and a folly, as demonstrated by recent events. Parties exclusively committed to peaceful and democratic means must be re-engaged in the peace process at the highest levels.

The SDLP has made detailed proposals with regard to the future of the Northern Assembly. I echo the SDLP leader's call that the Government reconvene the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation without delay. This forum should meet soon and as often as is necessary and may prove invaluable to finding a way forward from the current significant difficulties.

It is difficult to imagine that only months ago this Government was making the most warm and inclusive statements with regard to Sinn Féin and the IRA. Cabinet Ministers are now clear that Sinn Féin and the IRA are two sides of the same coin. Was it not recently that the Minister for Foreign Affairs predicted Sinn Féin would serve in Government relatively soon? Was it really our Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform who stated that it would be the happiest day of his life if he had to travel to the widow of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe to explain the Government decision to release his killers?

The Taoiseach and the Government must press for justice in the case of Robert McCartney without compromise or equivocation. If there is to be a trial in this case and if those who are responsible are to face justice for their actions, witness statements will have to be taken. In the absence of these statements, no justice will be forthcoming. In this matter, Sinn Féin and the IRA have serious questions to answer. Why did Sinn Féin dismiss this murder as an incident of knife culture, as if there was no paramilitary involvement in the killing? Why did Sinn Féin condemn the police for carrying out searches and questioning people about this murder? If a murder happened in my constituency I would certainly question the Garda Síochána if it failed to do its work of protecting the community by searching for the killers. Why did the leader of Sinn Féin wait for more than two weeks after the family of Robert McCartney had spoken out before he mentioned the murder publicly? Was he hoping that, unlike the IRA, the McCartneys would go away?

This evening I am asking whether Sinn Féin will, for once and for all, call upon people to go to the police if they have information on this murder. Will they ensure that the systematic intimidation of witnesses is stopped? The cause of justice is our cause. I lend my voice to the call by all public representatives to actively encourage those with knowledge of this crime to come forward and give statements to the investigating police to ensure that the justice in the courts sought by the McCartney family is achieved.

We welcome the support of the Green Party for this motion. I ask that it be passed by the House without division.

See this speech in context