Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have unfortunately seen in recent times an upsurge in paramilitary activity from dissident groups. It is very important that the Government, the Minister and our security service keeps a very close eye on this issue. We do not want to a situation to develop where paramilitary activity among dissident groups gets out of control in the same way as gangland criminality has got out of control in Dublin in recent times. We also need to recognise the important role previous Governments played in respect of the Good Friday Agreement.

We sometimes forget or underestimate the significance that the Agreement had on this island. It has effectively achieved peace on the island for nearly 20 years. It represented a sea-change in the attitude of violent republicanism, as well as a sea-change in the attitude of the British state.

We need to keep emphasising the importance of the Good Friday Agreement, not simply in terms of what happens in the North but also regarding what happens in the South. It is instructive to note that recently under the Fresh Start agreement, four commissioners were appointed to review paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland. It is important that we do the same down here.

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