Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)

It is very sad to have to stand and talk about this matter. We had all hoped it was a thing of the past but obviously there are people who are determined it should not be. I am a parent as are many of those present. The fear of every parent is of getting a telephone call some day with bad news. That is what Nuala Kerr had to face last Saturday. It is hard enough to lose somebody connected to oneself through disease or a car crash but one must try to deal with that situation. However, the thought of having to deal with a telephone call telling one one's son has been blown up must be phenomenally difficult to handle. On behalf of the people of south Leitrim and Roscommon, on my behalf and that of my family, I wish to offer condolences to the family of Constable Kerr. He chose a path in life which was the right one and he was doing the right thing but unfortunately there were people who had a problem with that.

I condemn those whom I had intended to call animals. However, I have a dog at home and he never behaved like that. Trying to pick an adjective or superlative to describe the people who carried out this act is impossible. It is just horrible. Out of everything, however, one must try to take some hope and see some light. Some has emerged and to me the most striking was the minute's silence held at the Tyrone-Kildare game. It is not easy to keep a crowd of that size quiet, no matter what the occasion may be, but according to The Irish Times the people at the game observed the silence impeccably which shows there is some hope. There is massive hope in the condemnation of this act from all sides of the political divide in Northern Ireland. It was absolutely brilliant to hear the condemnation from Sinn Féin and from all political parties. We must take a little bit of hope from that.

Over the coming days my thoughts and those of people I know will be with Mrs. Kerr and her family. They will never get over this but I hope they know the people of the Republic of Ireland are on their side and that we do not agree with what happened. I do not believe there is anybody left in the Twenty-six Counties who does agree with it. My thoughts are with the family. I hope I will not have to stand up in this Chamber to talk about anything of this kind in the future. That would be good.

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