Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I welcome this opportunity to reflect briefly on the recent achievements in Northern Ireland and the progress in the past week on the path to peace. I welcome the agreement reached between the parties in Northern Ireland last week on the devolution of justice and policing powers to the power-sharing institutions. It was the clear hope of the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland that this deal would be reached. The positive outcome to the lengthy negotiations has averted the prospect of a prolonged period of instability and uncertainty. It required intensive efforts from each party and they have secured a complete and enduring agreement. I would like to give credit to the Taoiseach and Minister for Foreign Affairs for their hours of attendance, if not always fruitfully at least leading to the conclusion that was eventually reached.

The challenge for the parties now is to work together to deliver on the implementing of the remaining elements of the Good Friday Agreement so that the people of Northern Ireland can be convinced that the political process can deliver real improvements to their lives. Let me assure the Northern parties that we in the Fine Gael Party will continue to play our part in supporting and assisting the full implementation of the agreement.

I had the privilege of attending the SDLP conference last Saturday. I convey my personal congratulations and that of my party to Margaret Ritchie MLA on her appointment as party leader, which comes at a critical time in the politics and development of Northern Ireland. As we hope to see the completion of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, her experience as a Minister in the Executive will stand to her and I look forward to meeting her in the not too distant future. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to Mark Durkan MP MLA for his leadership of the SDLP in the past ten years. I have known him for many years and his fearless leadership of the SDLP not only benefited his party, but more importantly was a voice of reason for all the people in Northern Ireland.

The 12 April will be an historic and defining day in the North. The Independent Monitoring Commission has previously stated - with which I agree - that the devolution of policing and justice brings important benefits to Northern Ireland, not least in allowing closer integration of law enforcement with other domestic policies. It will have a real and positive impact on people's lives and the problems they face on a daily basis. The IMC also made the point that dissident groups try to exploit the uncertainty of this issue and try to argue that politics was not winning in Northern Ireland when the reality was always very different. They have failed in their unjustified attempts to create a divide.

Regarding the new Minister for Justice, the First Minister and Deputy First Minister are meeting today to consider applicants interested in the post. Strong candidates are being put forward and I hope that a candidate of calibre and strength will emerge as the first Minister for Justice in Northern Ireland. I hope that decision will be made in the coming days.

A further positive step in the path to peace in the North came yesterday with the announcement by the INLA, the Official IRA and the south-east Antrim brigade of the Ulster Defence Association that they have put their weapons beyond use. This completion of the decommissioning process removes a key obstacle to political progress in Northern Ireland. It also fulfils the clearly expressed democratic wish of the Irish people, North and South, when they approved the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. General John de Chastelain deserves our thanks and credit for the effort he has put in over many years.

Fine Gael, as always, will stand ready to support the forces of law and order in confronting the threat of dissident republicans. The Taoiseach will have the full support of our party in respect of whatever action the Government must take in this regard. Fine Gael is concerned about reports that the Real IRA is actively recruiting new members in this jurisdiction. It is essential to ensure that young men are not lured into these organisations by some romantic notion of Irish republicanism and the continuation of an armed struggle. To achieve this we must continue to highlight in every way we can the necessity of implementing the Good Friday Agreement in full in order that people understand and see that co-operation and power-sharing are the way forward.

We must ensure that it is considered both the normal and effective way of delivering for everybody. Dissident activities in Cork in recent times are a worrying development. Their claim to murdering a man and threat to continue such vigilante activities cannot be allowed to continue. I am glad to see media reports of a massive Garda operation in Cork today, with more than 60 detectives involved in targeting this particular group.

We must also ensure our security forces have the necessary resources to monitor the activities of dissident groups in this State. Sadly, we are nearly a year on from the murder of two army officers at Massareene barracks by the Real IRA and the murder of PC Pat Carroll, days later, by the Continuity IRA. We must ensure that these evils cannot happen again. A concerted effort to disrupt their recruitment methods and other activities will prevent further atrocities being carried out. I wish the Government well in its future endeavours in this regard.

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