Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

To respond to the last point made by the Deputy regarding the activities of our Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, who has joined me here this morning, the seminar last Monday, at which he met Mr. Goggins, was precisely about the issue of cross-Border criminality - smuggling, working with Customs, the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Assets Recovery Agency etc., North and South. The close co-operation between the Garda, the PSNI and other agencies of the State is an ongoing priority for the Garda Commissioner and for the Minister.

On the question of the recent INLA statement, last Sunday's announcement that the INLA campaign is over and its commitment to peaceful means is potentially important. I would encourage it to engage with the decommissioning body.

Regarding recent dissident activity, I condemn in the strongest possible terms the recent activities by dissidents, including the targeting of families of police officers and attempted bomb attacks. Those who are carrying out these acts represent nobody. Their actions are entirely destructive. Co-operation between police services North and South has never been better and they are working closely together to ensure these people are brought to justice. It is clear from recent IMC reports that dissident groups styling themselves Óglaigh na hÉireann, the Real IRA, and the Continuity IRA are criminal groups. They have failed to move on. They have no mandate from the people and their continued involvement in various types of criminal activity should leave no one in any doubt about what they are trying to do.

Police services North and South are co-operating closely in tackling cross-Border crime. The conference held on Monday last, the seventh such conference, builds on the successes of previous years and further strengthens cross-Border co-operation. The event brought together senior officers from the Garda Síochána, the PSNI, the Serious Organised Crime Agency, the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Revenue Commissioners, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, Government Departments and immigration officers from both jurisdictions. We must tackle cross-Border crime effectively and take a united approach at both political and operational levels, sending a clear message to organised criminal gangs that there is no hiding place on either side of the Border for their illegal activity. The devolution of policing and justice will help this process further by enabling us to provide a fully integrated system of devolved government for Northern Ireland.

See this speech in context