Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

This is a very important debate. It is the second time in recent weeks Fine Gael has devoted its Private Members' time to such an important issue, the national issue, the ideal of peace in our land and, particularly, the ending of violence in our country forever. I listened carefully to the Sinn Féin speaker, Deputy Ó Caoláin. He missed the whole point of the Fine Gael motion, which was summed up when Deputy Kenny urged Sinn Féin to "match their pious announcements with real action and let the tragic death of Robert McCartney be the catalyst for the separation of Sinn Féin from its criminal associates once and for all". It is not for the isolation of Sinn Féin but the IRA that the motion is before the House. This is the real difference between all the parties in this country and Dáil. We want a total end forever to violence. The only way to achieve this is by taking the peaceful path.

Today, I viewed the Sinn Féin website to ascertain the links and connections, seamless or otherwise, between Sinn Féin and the IRA. Perhaps it is a small matter, but for sale for €15 on the Sinn Féin website — not the IRA website — was a T-shirt printed with the phrase "The IRA — the undefeated army" and another IRA T-shirt. I will not go into other issues in regard to the website. It is when those items are no longer for sale on the Sinn Féin website and when there is crystal clarity in regard to where Sinn Féin stands on the issue of violence that there will be total acceptance of its political position.

Sinn Féin goes on about republicanism and claims it is the republican party. The reality is that any true democrat is a true republican because what he or she wants is a true democracy. He or she wants liberty, equality and fraternity, the true ideals of republicanism and the ideals of Wolfe Tone, which sprang from the French Revolution and which are in all our hearts and minds. All the parties in this House exclude violence totally from that equation of republicanism and nationalism, and do so without fear. We speak in the House, stand before the electorate and fight our fight in the political field.

Whatever reasons there might have been in the 1790s for the struggle of the United Irishmen, given the economic and political position between Britain and Ireland as they were, none of these reasons survives. As I said before, in the British Houses of Parliament we have a united policy on Northern Ireland. We have a policy regarding this country and in Downing Street we have a Prime Minister who has no imperialist views or ideas. For many years the British Government has sought to have peace in our land, peace between green and orange, and it has sought to assist that peace. In America we have had a very influential number of recent presidents, in particular President Clinton, and indeed President Bush, who are making every possible effort to bring about peace. They have brought in Sinn Féin and their leaders and have allowed them to raise money in the US. There was no need to raid banks. They were allowed to run a perfectly legitimate operation in another country because the Americans and British want what the Irish want, an end forever to violence. That is the message.

Those of us who went to school and did our bit of Leaving Certificate science learned about titration of chemicals. Historically one had the green, nationalist colour and the orange one. Mixed together, unfortunately up to now the colour that has emerged has been the colour of blood, such as was spilled a month ago in Belfast. We are talking of the blood of thousands of people who have died. What we are trying to do, and what successive governments, oppositions and everyone wants is a re-mixing of those colours with the result being peace, or a white colour. It can be done scientifically and it can be done in the hearts and minds of the people.

This is what the people want. They are entitled to it and must get it. The ambiguity in Sinn Féin, obvious in their website and their words, must end. It may be that because of the grip the IRA has on the people of Belfast or certain parts of it, none of the 70 people who saw the murder could use a mobile phone for fear of dying themselves. An ambulance could not be called for fear that those who called it would also end up on the street with the poor people attacked. If the grip of the IRA is so strong, Sinn Féin must walk away from it. At the end of what they call the struggle, that violent struggle, we can talk business and then walk together into the future Ireland that people want.

The current situation cannot continue. We are now at the final point. The people will put up with this no longer. If the McCartney family cannot get justice for the awful murder perpetrated on their brother because of fear and intimidation, another justice can be meted out. That is the justice of the voice of the people through the ballot boxes, North and South. This must happen. If people are terrorised by the IRA and fearful of it, and none can blame them when we see what has happened, then the greater truth will become known. I do not know if Gerry Adams is going to the White House on St. Patrick's Day but I damn well think the McCartney family should be there because they speak for all of us.

There is no doubt that we want an end to the violence. We support the McCartney family in its struggle. It is very difficult to stand up to fear and intimidation. It is very difficult if one has been a Sinn Féin voter to go out on the street and get 200 or 300 people to say "Yes, we backed you. We want an end to this". It is going to happen because the people will make it happen.

This is the moment for Sinn Féin to grasp. I echo Deputy Kenny's concluding comments. Sinn Féin must grasp peace now, go for it and stand apart from the IRA. We want Sinn Féin in this House. We want it to play its full part in democratic politics but there can no longer be any ambiguity about violence, death, murder and intimidation. There must be an end to it now.

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