Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

The murder of Paul Quinn last October in County Monaghan shocked the nation. The brutal nature of the killing was particularly disturbing. Both Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil suggested in the aftermath that Paul Quinn's death was linked to criminality. Notwithstanding the fact that the Taoiseach and Minister for Foreign Affairs later retracted their statements and irrespective of the motive behind Paul Quinn's death, his murder — like any other murder — was unacceptable. There can never be a valid reason or justification for a gang of masked thugs to lure a young man to an isolated farm and beat him to death.

I do not believe that Paul Quinn was involved in criminality. He was simply a young man who refused to bow and scrape to the racketeering, self-appointed hard men in his area. Whatever his supposed error as adjudged by those Mafia-type bosses taking on the role of judge and jury, he paid the ultimate price. His death shone a light on a world with which many of us in the Republic are unfamiliar. He came from the small village of Cullyhanna in the heart of south Armagh, an area long considered unsafe for the agents of law and order because of the strong republican presence in the area. In the immediate aftermath of his murder, it was unfortunate that the British and Irish Governments rushed to judgment by ruling out direct republican paramilitary involvement. As we search for the truth months later, we see how unhelpful these statements were.

What we have seen following Paul Quinn's death is that while we have peace in Northern Ireland, some areas remain outside mainstream civil society. It is clear that the Mafia-like situation that existed prior to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 persists at a certain level a decade later. The factors which created the vacuum and allowed an IRA dominated subculture to develop in south Armagh are well known. However, we are supposed to have moved on from the tragic era of the Troubles. The Good Friday Agreement was overwhelmingly endorsed by all the people of this island. We now have a functioning Northern Executive at Stormont that is charged with governing the domestic affairs of Northern Ireland. The PSNI is the legitimate police force in the North, just as the Garda Síochána is the legitimate police force in the South. If punishment for alleged crimes is to be meted out, that is a matter for the police and the courts and not for individuals or gangs.

Alleged links between criminality and those who took Paul Quinn's life in a brutal manner have been the subject of some discussion in the media. A recent "Prime Time Investigates" documentary on fuel smuggling from the South to the North revealed that the shed where Paul Quinn was beaten to death is sometimes used by smugglers to store fuel. The same programme revealed that legitimate authorities are simply afraid to go after the smugglers because of their fear of Mafia-style intimidation and the physical violence evidenced in so-called punishment beatings. This situation is simply unacceptable. Paul Quinn's tragic death must be a watershed for the Border area. It must be the catalyst that marks the end of Mafia-style rule and the beginning of a meaningful rule of law in every part of the State.

The people of south Armagh and beyond have been vocal in their condemnation of Paul's killers. It is clear they no longer want to live in a society dominated by fear and intimidation. They have the same right to feel safe and secure and live free of threats, intimidation and fear as all other citizens of this island. However, they must put their trust in the legitimate authorities. Yesterday, Chief Constable Hugh Orde issued a stark warning that "Northern Ireland is facing an imminent threat from a group of disorganised but dangerous dissident republicans". He stressed that co-operation between the people and the police is essential to neutralising this threat. I hope his plea for co-operation will be heeded.

Our Government and the Northern Ireland authorities must work closely together to deliver a real peace to south Armagh and to create and foster a civil society in which people feel secure and protected by the legitimate police force. There is much scope for North-South co-operation on this issue. The Garda Síochána and the PSNI must work together. The obvious place for such co-operation to continue is in investigating the appalling murder of Paul Quinn and bringing his killers to justice. I wish the Garda and the PSNI every success in this regard.

See this speech in context