Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ar mo shon féin agus ar son mo pháirtí, ba mhaith liom comhbhrón a dhéanamh le clann Adrian Donohoe, lena bhean Caroline, lena mhac Niall agus lena iníon, Amy, de dheascadh an dúnmharú uafásach a tharla Dé hAoine seo chaite. Tá sé do-chreidte go bhfuil daoine fós sa tír seo atá sásta dúnmharú den tsaghas seo a dhéanamh. Táimid go léir feargach agus tá muintir na tíre ar buile. Déanaimid go léir comhbhrón leis na gardaí uilig ar fud na tíre. Beimid i gcónaí buíoch dóibh as ucht an tseirbhís a thugann siad dúinn lá i ndiaidh lae.

The brutal act of violence perpetrated in Lordship, County Louth on Friday night was a bleak moment for the entire nation. In homes all across the country ordinary people were deeply shocked by the news of the cold blooded slaying of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe as he stood in the line of service for his country. The State has suffered a direct attack, An Garda Síochána has endured the loss of a dear colleague but, more profoundly, the family of Adrian Donohoe have lost a loving husband, a father, a brother and a son. We can never forget the human cost of this savage act of violence. The central role of An Garda Síochána runs deep in the family of Adrian Donohoe. I can only begin to imagine the pain of the loss his parents, brothers and sisters have so cruelly suffered. I offer my most sincere condolences to his wife, Caroline, who shared with Adrian not just a loving relationship but also the commitment to public service in the face of ever-present danger that underpins the work of An Garda Síochána.

There is something truly harrowing about young children being robbed of their father at such a fragile age and what is even more saddening is the violent circumstances in which he was taken. This is a loss that will strike at the heart of all families throughout the country.

The least we can offer to his son, Niall, and his daughter, Amy, is our deep sorrow and full unwavering support. The deep, irreplaceable loss which his family has suffered is felt by his colleagues in the force, not just in his station at Dundalk but also across the entire country. Those who wear the uniform of An Garda Síochána are bound together by the ethos of service that defines it. They stand guard against those who would plunge us into chaos. In the darkness of Friday night that entire force felt the loss of a brave member who gave his life in that duty. It is a testament to the resilience and determination of its members in the face of such tragedy that they have rallied around their fallen colleague to strive to bring the perpetrators to justice. Officers cancelled leave and came to work on their days off, while gardaí across the country have offered their help in pursuing the case. These actions stand as a reminder that the force will never be cowed by thugs. Detective Garda Joe Ryan's return to work to help the investigation in the aftermath of witnessing the callous murder of his colleague is a tribute to Detective Donohoe's character and the strength of fraternity in the force.

I offer Garda Commissioner Callinan and the members of the force our condolences. In his home area of Lordship, the town of Dundalk and his family home area of Kilnaleck, County Cavan the local communities are reeling from the shock of such a brutal loss. Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe embodied the best traditions of community engagement. For him, public service was not simply a job but a way of life. His contribution to local life outside his work with An Garda Síochána will be sorely missed by those whose lives he enriched. The people who knew him, played football with him, coached and mentored by him face an immense void at the heart of their communities.

Seventeen years ago the country was appalled by the barbaric murder of Jerry McCabe by the IRA in Adare, County Limerick who died in the line of duty protecting us from the armed thugs whose agenda was greed, murder and chaos. Adrian Donohoe died in defending us against that same dark agenda, protecting a community bank where ordinary people put away their hard and fairly earned money and helped to support other members. Those who committed the crime attacked the very principles of law and order on which the State is founded. The security and stability of society are upheld by the men and women of An Garda Síochána who have pledged to defend it against those who mean us harm. An attack on them is an attack on the people; it is an attack on all of us. We must stand behind those who stand up for us against the scourge of violent criminality.

The name of Adrian Donohoe will now join that of Jerry McCabe and many others on the walls of the cenotaph memorial at Garda Headquarters, alongside those members of the force who paid the ultimate price. Let us all work together to ensure the families they left behind are cared for, that those with blood on their hands face the full rigour of justice and the State they died defending justifies their sacrifice.

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