Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

I ask the Minister to ensure that such action will be both strong and effective and that he might visit this issue with the Garda Commissioner at the earliest opportunity. Lest the Minister is under the impression that there is no vigilante activity along the Border, I put to him the direct link between such vigilante activity, that is, people taking the law into their own hands, and an upsurge of dissident republican activity along the Border. There was an improvised bomb in County Donegal on 10 September that was made safe by Army bomb disposal experts. The Real IRA planted two pipe bombs in Derry on 11 September. Óglaigh na hÉireann was behind a 600 lbs bomb that was defused at Forkhill, County Armagh on 8 September, the command wire of which was located in this jurisdiction. There have been other unsettling developments in recent times, including reports that the dissident republican 32 County Sovereignty Movement has been active in counties Cavan, Fermanagh and Donegal and most recently in County Cork. Is the Minister aware of Internet chat forums of a horrendous nature that seek to recruit young people into the 32 County Sovereignty Movement? The Minister should have his officials examine these Internet film clips, which show the most disgusting, horrendous and outrageous violent activities to have taken place in Ireland over the past 30 years. This is a real and serious issue that is directly linked to the vigilante activity whereby leaflets have been distributed in Border counties and as recently as last week in County Cork. The Minister should take this matter seriously.

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