Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)

I dtús báire, ba mhaith liom dúnmharú Rónán Kerr a cháineadh. Ní éireoidh leis mar tá dúil ag muintir na hÉireann síochán sa tír seo a neartú. I offer my condolences to the family of constable Ronan Kerr, to his mother, Nuala, his sister, Dairine, and his brothers, Cathair and Aaron. This is a horrible nightmare for any family to go through, especially a family which only recently suffered the heartbreak of losing a loved one; Ronan's father, Brian who passed way away two years ago. In particular, I pay tribute to Nuala Kerr for the manner in which she has spoken about her son's death. Urging other young Catholics not to be deterred from joining the Police Service of Northern Ireland she stated:

we are striving for a neutral police force for the good of our country, and I urge all Catholic members not to be deterred by this. We all need to stand up and be counted and to strive for equality. We don't want to go back into the dark days again of fear and terror.

It never ceases to amaze me how some people manage to provide inspiration at a time when they have been rocked by grief and tragedy.

Constable Kerr had been in the force only for a few weeks when he was killed but it was clear that he had already left an indelible impression on his colleagues. The PSNI Chief Constable, Matt Baggott, described him as a modern-day hero. His decision to join the PSNI was a testament to his courage and to the strength of the peace process.

It is difficult to find words to express the horror and revulsion caused by the murder of this brave young man, committed to protecting his community. Civic, religious and political leaders have all come together to condemn this atrocity. However, a picture is worth 1,000 words. The sight of senior and local members of the GAA gathered together at constable Kerr's Beragh Red Knights club yesterday sent a powerful message to those responsible for Ronan Kerr's murder to the effect that their acts would not be tolerated. The chairman of the Beragh club, Gearóid Ó Treasaigh, described Ronan Kerr as "a Catholic, an Irishman and a Gael, who joined the PSNI because he wanted to play his part in making our society a better place". Perhaps the Ulster GAA president, Aogan Ó Fearghaíl put it best when he stated: "when one of our members is attacked, and when our communities are attacked, we are all attacked".

As well as the Kerr family, my thoughts are with the people of Omagh at this difficult time. In the words of Michael Gallagher, who lost his 21 year old son in the Real IRA blast which killed 29 people and unborn twins in 1998, Ronan Kerr's murder is a "double insult" to the town of Omagh. That Omagh should once again become the backdrop to another atrocity is unspeakable. Just as the community thought they had put their worst days behind them, they find themselves confronted by more horror.

Apart from its cruelty, one of the most striking things about the murder of Ronan Kerr is its absolute futility. It appears these dissidents believe that by targeting Catholic members of the PSNI young men will seek to leave the service while other young Catholics will be deterred from joining the force in the first place. Ronan Kerr was proof that this strategy will not work. The murder of police constable Stephen Carroll two years ago and the maiming of Peadar Heffron, not to mention the other attempted attacks such as the attach on a woman officer in Kilkeel, County Down, last August, did not deter Ronan from joining. These atrocities did not weaken the resolve of the community and the police force then and they will not do so now.

Figures show that Catholic participation has been increasing at a steady pace since the PSNI was formed in 2001. As the First Minister, Peter Robinson, stated at the press conference at Stormont yesterday, "all they have done is strengthen the institutions that we have, unite our community, bring politicians closer together, and make sure there is a united response in support of the PSNI". The press conference yesterday at which the Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, First Minister, Peter Robinson, the Minister for Justice, David Ford and the PSNI Chief Constable, Matt Baggott, all stood shoulder to shoulder further underlines the futility of the dissidents' strategy. The murder of Stephen Carroll prompted a similar press conference as well as widespread condemnation. Why do these dissidents believe it will be any different this time? How can these people believe they have any real support among the community? Do they really believe their strategy will work? The murder of constable Kerr should not be interpreted as a sign that the peace process is faltering but that it is working well, too well for those who oppose it.

While we express our sympathy to the family of Ronan Kerr and our condemnation of his murder, the best way to stand up to those responsible is to ensure they are brought before the courts of justice. The only way to achieve this is through the provision of information to the police authorities. I echo the calls of the PSNI and the Garda Síochána for anyone with information to come forward. This is an opportunity for people to stand up to the dissidents. I understand that people are scared to come forward. In my constituency in Limerick I have seen how fear can be instilled in a community by those who believe they are above the law. However, those who are afraid should be reminded that they can provide information anonymously. I welcome the fact that Crimestoppers announced today that it is offering a £50,000 reward for information that will help detectives catch Ronan Kerr's killers. It is heartening that following the murder of Stephen Carroll in March 2009, the community came forward with information and it seems a court case may be underway in the near future.

A further concerning aspect is the increased sophistication of the dissidents. It appears their bomb making and engineering capabilities have improved significantly. The PSNI has described as substantial the device that killed Constable Kerr. There is a concern that dissidents are using under-car bombs which are miniature in nature and more difficult to detect. The PSNI is currently examining evidence from the bombing at the weekend and more information will be available in time.

Faced with the growing capabilities of the dissidents, it is important that co-operation between the police forces and justice Departments North and South is maintained at the unprecedented level set by the previous Government. According to media reports, Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan, and PSNI Chief Constable, Matt Baggott, are liaising closely, while anti-terrorist officers from both police forces are working together in an effort to identify the bombers as well. The words of the Garda Commissioner, Mr. Callinan, during the weekend should leave people in no doubt as to the level of co-operation between the two forces. He stated:

we in An Garda Síochána stand together with our colleagues in the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Our uniforms may be woven from different cloth, but the police on this island are bound together by a shared resolve and determination to bring those responsible for this senseless crime to justice.

As recently as last November, the second formal meeting of the cross-Border criminal justice ministerial group, under the auspices of the intergovernmental agreement on co-operation on criminal justice matters, was held in Dublin. The intergovernmental agreement provides a framework for co-operation on criminal justice matters and provides for at least one ministerial meeting per year between the Ministers North and South who receive reports from a working group made up of senior officials from both jurisdictions. At this meeting the Northern Ireland Justice Minister David Ford stated: "Co-operation between criminal justice organisations on both sides of the Border has never been better." He also pointed out that there is "good day-to-day co-operation across the criminal justice system". Following his first official meeting with his Northern counterpart last month, the new Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, paid tribute to the excellent relations between the two police forces, stating that he was "struck by the high level of cooperation taking place". I urge the new Government to continue to support the ever improving relationship between the two forces and I trust this will be matched by a determination at political level to facilitate co-operation in every way possible. I conclude by expressing once again my absolute revulsion at the futile and cold blooded murder of Constable Ronan Kerr. My thoughts and prayers are with the Kerr family at this very difficult time.

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