Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I thank the Taoiseach for that lengthy reply. Three weeks ago the director general of MI5 said there had been a persistent rise in activity and ambition among groups in Northern Ireland with the intention of disrupting the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process. He also said it represented a real and rising security challenge and that, as a consequence, MI5 had to reinforce its presence in Northern Ireland to deal with a situation in which he said the threat had increased from moderate to substantial.

On 23 May, the Independent Monitoring Commission said that the persons involved were highly active and dangerous, with some in a state of heightened activity, ruthless, violent and prepared to kill and committed to undermining the peace process. This became a reality last Sunday. The report also stated that the so-called Real IRA and Continuity IRA are actively recruiting young men without previous involvement in terrorist activity or experience. They are engaged in serious criminal activity, such as weapons acquisition, kidnapping and robbery, and they are being trained for that. This is a most serious situation.

I do not agree with the term "dissident republican". These people are traitors to the cause of peace and development in our country because the people, North and South, decided by secret ballot to endorse the Good Friday Agreement as the way forward for all the people of this island.

There was always a process where the Government or the Taoiseach's office advised leaders of Opposition parties of what was happening by way of security briefing. Perhaps the Taoiseach would see that would happen now. Has the Government taken any specific action following the threats of activity and the bomb that went off on Sunday night which, I understand, caused substantial damage to a hotel and some nearby buildings? But for the swift action of the PSNI, it could have been very serious.

There was a report in a Sunday newspaper that bomb-making factories are operating in the Republic and that suspected training camps and shooting ranges are operating in the west of the country. Has the Taoiseach any evidence of that? I assume he has already spoken to the Garda Commissioner and will make available to him whatever resources are necessary to allow the Garda to do its job. As I repeated yesterday, the Government will have the full support of the Fine Gael Party in whatever it must do. This is far too serious for our country to allow it go unhindered or for it not to be dealt with. The Taoiseach has my full support in that regard.

How does the Taoiseach see the North-South parliamentary body evolving? There are meetings on Thursday and Friday of this week in Newcastle, to which I intend to go. Do the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister have a timescale for its evolution? Does the Taoiseach see it as a long-term conversational engagement before anything serious comes out of it? Perhaps he will comment on that?

In respect of the North-South Ministerial Council to be held before the end of the year, in view of the comments made by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. Paterson, about his interest in some of the taxation rates, has there been any discussion between the Department of Finance and the Chancellor of the Exchequer or his people on changes to the tax codes which would eliminate incentives for smuggling or otherwise? Perhaps the Taoiseach will comment on that?

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