Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)

On behalf of the People Before Profit Alliance, I condemn outright the pointless, cowardly murder of Ronan Kerr. We wish to send our deepest condolences to Ronan's mother and family who have shown great courage in what must be one of the most difficult times of their lives and one of their darkest hours of grief. This was a horrendous act and has really shocked the nation. Over the past few days many people have said to me, "What are we going back to? What are we facing into? We don't want this".

What has been termed a military campaign to drive the British out is doomed to failure. Thirty years of the Troubles demonstrated that such a campaign, based on the support of a section of the community and implacably opposed by the rest of it, could not succeed and was a failure. A so-called campaign with no support is pointless and any murder connected with it is despicable.

I note the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has called a solidarity rally in Belfast tomorrow and has asked for widespread support from trade unionists, working and unemployed people for this initiative. Such actions by trade unions have been decisive in the past in pulling Northern Ireland back from the brink and expressing solidarity towards families and communities as well as expressing opposition to murder.

We believe sincerely that unity of working people is the only way forward to achieve a lasting solution to the national question on this island. Peace must be linked to social and economic equality in the lives of the majority of people both North and South. Actions which divide working people and raise sectarian tensions are an obstacle to achieving that solution.

To Ronan's family and friends and the wider community I reiterate our sincere sympathy and our absolute condemnation of his murder.

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