Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I thank the Government for providing the time Sinn Féin requested for Teachtaí Dála to comment today on the murder of PSNI Constable Ronan Kerr on Saturday. On the day the Taoiseach was elected to office, we spoke informally for a moment. I congratulated him and he agreed to my suggestion to come north at the earliest opportunity, but none of us believed his first visit in his formal capacity as Taoiseach would be to this young man's funeral. This is a matter of deep regret.

Mar a dúirt mé níos luaithe anseo, sa Tuaisceart inné agus oíche Dé Sathairn nuair a chuala mé an scéal dona seo, tá dúnmharú Ronan Kerr mícheart. Tá Sinn Féin ag seasamh le teaghlach Kerr. Táimid leo.

On behalf of Sinn Féin, I wish to state our unequivocal condemnation of Ronan Kerr's murder. I appeal to any citizen with any information to bring it to the PSNI or An Garda Síochána. Ba mhaith liom mo chomhbhrón féin, agus comhbhrón poblachtánaigh in achan áit, a ghabháil le Nuala Kerr agus a chlann ar fad. I want to extend on my own behalf and that of republicans everywhere our solidarity and sincerest condolences to Nuala Kerr and her children, Cathair, Dairine and Aaron. Like many others I watched Nuala on television on Sunday, standing with her children beside her, speaking with love, pride and affection about Ronan. It was a desperately sad moment, made all the more poignant because it was mothers' day. Is am iontach brónach atá ann do Nuala Kerr agus dá clann.

Ronan's late father Brian came from Andersonstown in west Belfast. Tá a lán meas ag daoine ar chlann Kerr. The Kerrs are a well known and respected family. Ronan's grandparents and other family members live there and Ronan was a regular visitor. This week's Andersonstown News - the local newspaper - has photographs on its front page of Ronan's late father and his mother, Nuala, at a family reunion in the Andersonstown social club. This was formerly known as the PDF club, which used to support republican prisoners and their families and organised transport for families to visit people in Long Kesh, Armagh and Portlaoise.

Ronan was a keen GAA member. He played for Beragh Red Knights at under 12, under 14, under 16 and at minor level. He was also an enthusiastic Tyrone supporter. He was one of many young Nationalists and republicans who, following fundamental changes to policing, decided to join the PSNI. He wanted to serve his community and had just completed his training. He was 25. That means he was eight years old when the first IRA cessation was called. For most of his life and all of his short adult life, he had, like all of his generation, no experience of conflict.

Speaking on Sunday Nuala Kerr spoke for all of us when she said, as others have quoted:

It is a sad day for our community. Ronan was a valued member and he had much to offer. This is at a time when we are striving for a neutral police force for the good of our country and I urge all Catholic members not to be deterred. We all need to stand up and be counted and to strive for equality. We do not want to go back to the dark days again of fear and terror.

She is right. We all must stand up for our community every day and everywhere on this island. We must stand up for equality and a non-partisan, civic policing service in the North. We must encourage young Nationalists and republicans to join the PSNI, and I do so again today. We must confront and challenge those responsible for Ronan Kerr's murder.

The shock, outrage and anger surrounding the murder of Ronan Kerr will unite and bind together more strongly than ever before all of those who want the peace process to succeed. I was in the North yesterday and the day before and met many republicans who have suffered grievously in the conflict. These people have spent a long time in prison without trial and have had their homes raided or family members assaulted, injured or, in some cases, killed. These people are seething with anger about this. There is such evidence in communities, from the GAA and among political representatives in civic society.

We must go beyond condemnation; that is key. It is important that we spell out our feelings on what occurred but there is an imperative on every citizen to defend the peace process. That especially includes those of us honoured to be elected as political representatives, such as those of us in the Chamber and the Government as a whole. We must demonstrate to those who want to tear down the Good Friday Agreement that we are resolute and determined to defend and build on the institutions. There is an onus on all of us, especially the Government, to implement all outstanding aspects of the Good Friday Agreement and to strengthen the all-Ireland institutional structures.

I want to take this opportunity to speak directly to those responsible for violent actions and others who might tolerate them. Sinn Féin offered - through people like me and Martin McGuinness - to meet you and to outline our strategy for advancing republican and democratic objectives and our belief in the futility of armed actions. So far you have refused to speak to us, dismissed us and placed a death threat on some of us. I make the same offer again. I have no problem with anyone disagreeing with Sinn Féin and that is your right, but you have no right to attack anyone and there is no support for this. That is clear from the overwhelming public rejection of the attack which killed Ronan Kerr. The people of this island demand that you stop. I will meet you anywhere at any time to listen to what you have to say and to tell you that there is now a democratic peaceful way to unite our people and our country on the basis of equality. Your achievement has been to unite us all in opposition to your actions. It is time to end these futile attacks on the peace process; they will not succeed. Tá an cogadh thart. The war is over. The IRA is gone.

I appeal to anyone who helped in any way to assist or shelter the perpetrators of this action, or those who may in some way - in their head or from a bar stool while chatting - try to justify this action. Those who murdered Ronan Kerr are not the IRA; it has embraced, facilitated and supported the peace process. The IRA has left the stage and those who murdered Ronan Kerr have no coherent strategy and their actions do not advance any political agenda whatever. They are unrepresentative of the community and do not define republicanism. They claim to be republican but their actions are anti-republican and against peace. They are not dissidents; dissent is a good and necessary part of any democratic or social movement.

Almost 20 years ago, through a long and hard process of negotiation, effort and hard work, Sinn Féin developed a peace strategy and with others created a peace process that has brought about fundamental and positive change. Tá athraithe cuimsitheacha taréis tarlúint. Significant progress has been made, although this is a continuing struggle. One example of this is the fact that in four weeks there will be an election to the power sharing Northern Ireland Assembly and executive at the end of a successful four year term. Who could have imagined 20 years ago that Martin McGuinness could be in government with Ian Paisley or Peter Robinson, with Sinn Féin, the DUP and other parties in government? Who could have imagined the all-Ireland institutions or that the Taoiseach could be welcomed, even on a sad occasion, by every person he could meet at this sad time? That is progress and it should be developed.

The Good Friday Agreement provides a peaceful and democratic means to achieve republican objectives for those who have such goals. In referenda and in every subsequent election the people of this island have voted for this and subsequent agreements. There is no excuse, justification or explanation that can validate the murder of Ronan Kerr or any of the other actions of those involved in his killing. Our goal in the time ahead must be to defend the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement.

Nuala Kerr is right. This is a time to stand up and be counted against those who would seek to drag us back to the dark days and against those who are wedded to senseless and futile militarism. It is time to continue, as she put it, the quest for equality for all. That is the responsibility of every one of us.

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