Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The ugliest and most grotesque crime of all was committed in Ballymena over the weekend. I am sure all sides of the House agree with me in deploring the grotesque killing. On behalf of the Labour Party I extend our condolence to the family of Michael McIlveen.

Does this killing not highlight the urgency of all sides of the community proposing their confidence in and expressing their support for policing in Northern Ireland? Was it not the settled expectation on all sides that some movement from Sinn Féin could be anticipated before the Executive would be reinstated? How can this position be reconciled with the interview given today by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern? The following bizarre remarks are attributed to him: "The policy issue is not a precondition for the November deal". He went on to dismiss the anti-criminality campaign of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform as being merely politicking in the South. In the process he sent the message to Sinn Féin that it could now kick into "the middle distance" the issue of subscribing to policing and taking its positions on the boards in Northern Ireland.

In the context of the Lancaster House agreement in June 2004, the Taoiseach told this House that "support for policing from all sides of the community" was one of the four critical issues that needed to be tackled. As recently as January in the Farmleigh meeting with the British Prime Minister, Mr. Blair, the two Governments apparently concluded that they would like to see Sinn Féin confront the issue of policing once and for all. By the summer they wanted to see Sinn Féin give full recognition to the PSNI for the first time and join the policing boards, which would clear the way for the devolving of policing powers to a restored Executive in Northern Ireland. In December 2004 Mr. Adams told us he was prepared to sign up to all the political aspects of the agreement. How can that be reconciled with today's interview with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern? Does the Taoiseach agree with him and does he also dismiss the anti-criminality campaign of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform as no more than politicking in the context of the South? Does the Taoiseach not agree that, as a result of this interview with the Minister, Deputy Dermot Ahern, there is less prospect of the executive being reinstated because the signal is clear to the DUP that the Irish Government, at least, no longer requires movement on this critical issue to have the executive reinstated?

See this speech in context