Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

On the Quinn murder, investigations are ongoing into this serious crime. It undoubtedly has the trappings of paramilitary involvement, although republicans have condemned it and denied any involvement. The reports will be out shortly and we will deal with the views and assessments. Ultimately, any type of organisation or structure that engages in such activity or any groupings that might have been affiliated with the past are always a worry and concern. Such activity is a worry also for the organisations who try to move away from that.

I have no direct knowledge, information or intelligence that this was the work of the Provisional IRA, but it has been stated that the large number of people involved, the fact that the forensics were cleaned up to such a professional degree and so on gives the impression that people who were affiliated with the past or knew how to deal with these issues might have had some involvement. We have no intelligence in this regard, however, and from our own point of view, it is a case of co-operating with the Garda which is putting in a big effort to assist the victim's family. I have met the family and they want to see justice prevail. In the south Armagh area or any other Border area, we must do all we can to restore normal policing.

As I said yesterday, the building blocks of bringing devolution of policing and justice to Northern Ireland is local involvement and participation by communities. That is the best way of bringing an end to such activity for ever more and of getting away from having any types of paramilitary groups, power groups, heavy gangs or whatever new umbrella they devise. I get reports from time to time of groupings that are still operating on that type of heavy gangs basis. Whether they are doing so with any authorisation — which I am told by intelligence they are not — or doing it off their own bat, it is not a good thing and we must see the end of it. It is not unreasonable, ten years on, that we should see the end of this once and for all. The best way of achieving this is through proper local policing in these areas, so that we bring back a level of normality. If we do not do that, we will continue to have these sporadic events by either side, whether in loyalist areas or republican strongholds. We must try to get away from that and anything that helps in this regard is welcome. I do not want to dictate to any organisation how it should move into the future other than that I want to see it moving into the future.

On the cancer strategy, there is close co-operation. The cancer service in Northern Ireland, particularly in Belfast, is considered to be well advanced. It is a good and authoritative unit and has been working closely with us for a number of years. In the discussions that took place on Letterkenny and the connections it will have with Galway, there was close engagement with the Department of Health in Belfast. A number of meetings have taken place between the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, and her officials and the Belfast groups. We encourage that because where we can exchange specialties we should do so. Health is a good area for co-operation.

On the investment conference, we have from the start helped the Northern Ireland authorities to the greatest extent possible. They have "utilised" us — I will leave that word in inverted commas. We have offered and I hope that we have tried. When Dr. Paisley and Mr. McGuinness were in Washington in December, they met our ambassador. At that stage, we said that any help we could give through the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and our contacts with multinationals or others, including finance houses, we would give. I have talked to some CEOs of companies and asked them to attend to try to get high-level representation. We hope that can happen. Perhaps it is not the best time in the world because of the difficulties in the American economy but, at the same time, it is important that we put in a full effort. We are there to help and I have urged the British Prime Minister to help where possible. It is not easy to get CEOs at the top levels of these companies and I think the Executive should use the contacts in the UK and here to the greatest extent possible to make it a success.

The second Varney report will be out shortly. I think it is clear from my discussions with Gordon Brown and from his long years as Chancellor that the idea of harmonising the tax rate in Northern Ireland to an equivalent level with the Republic of Ireland has two chances. I will not go into the rest. The possibility of him looking at other alternatives is more hopeful. There are a number of alternatives and the British Government could be helpful. In the context of Northern Ireland, it should not be a tax issue. Most of these companies, for some years, might not have been paying too much tax anyway. If there was a capital allowance or accelerated allowances that would entice them to develop in Northern Ireland and to set up and expand, in my estimation it would be more valuable in the short term because the set-up costs of the companies would probably roll over five years, seven years or ten years anyway. Hopefully, some new suggestions like this will be put.

For my own part, I will say what I have said elsewhere — I do not think it an unreasonable position and I totally support the Northern Ireland Executive and others in Northern Ireland who have lobbied for this, such as Northern Ireland business groups. If one saves an enormous bill on security over a progressive number of years, it is not an unreasonable argument to say that one should get some of it back in investment as a peace dividend. This does not seem to me to be an unreasonable request. It is what the leadership of the Executive has been saying and it is united in this, which should be taken into account.

On the immigration issue, the big issue for us is to keep it live in the campaign and to try to avoid some of the closed mentality of some people. We are down to three since we last discussed this matter. We should keep our lobbying efforts focused on Senator Obama, Senator Clinton and Senator John McCain to try to get a successful deal afterwards. The other issue that worried me is what they have been saying about multinational companies and the repatriation of profits and investments, which was a John Kerry proposal of four years ago. This is also in the campaign. They are the two issues we must follow closely as the campaign in the United States goes on.

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