Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I know that all Members of the House will join me in condemning all subversive groups and their activities. These groups may be called, as the Deputy refers to them, "dissident republicans", but such a label lends them an historical respectability they do not deserve. We should be clear that these people are no more than criminal terrorists using violence in pursuit of their own, sometimes personal, ends and using violence, frequently, for their own personal benefit. They have no support in the wider community, North and South, for either their criminal aims or for their violent methods.

Since early 2009 the threat level in Northern Ireland has been classified as severe. In particular, these groups have targeted PSNI officers and staff, most recently with the brutal murder of PSNI Constable Ronan Kerr in April of this year whose funeral I attended. The threat faced on this island from these subversives is a shared threat and I can assure the House that the Garda continues to co-operate seamlessly with the PSNI in actively pursuing and targeting these groups.

Operational policing co-operation is the responsibility of the Commissioner and the Chief Constable and their respective forces. Both police chiefs have emphasised the close nature and the high quality of the ongoing co-operation between their forces and it has been instrumental in preventing attacks, combating criminality and saving lives. The two police forces operate a cross-Border policing strategy, which covers areas including cross-Border investigations and operations, intelligence-sharing and security, ICT and emergency planning.

Combating the subversive threat has always been an absolute priority for the Garda authorities and it will remain so, even in the current climate of financial constraint. I can assure the Deputy and the House that the Government is committed to maintaining that high level of co-operation between the Garda and the PSNI. There is also close co-operation and regular contact between my Department, the Northern Ireland Department of Justice and the Northern Ireland Office. By working together on matters of mutual concern and interest we can improve community safety for all the people on this island.

I can advise the Deputy I met with the Northern Ireland Justice Minister, David Ford, twice last week and on both occasions we reviewed the various aspects of cross-Border co-operation between our Departments and related agencies, including the ongoing measures being taken to counteract subversive crime.

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