Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join with the Deputy in his opening comments as this is the first opportunity we have had in the Dáil to respond to the dreadful events in central London and outside Parliament in Westminster yesterday. I know that every Member of this House will join with me in expressing our outrage at this cowardly and evil act against innocent and defenceless people. We, like all right-thinking people, utterly condemn and reject such awful actions. Our thoughts and sympathies are, of course, with the families and friends of those who have lost their lives, among them PC Keith Palmer. He gave his life on duty in Westminster yesterday. We also think of the many men, women and children who have been injured and we hope for their speedy recovery.

I can confirm that there is an Irish citizen among the injured. I am advised that the person's injuries are not considered life-threatening and that the Irish Embassy in London and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will offer all assistance to that person and to their family. I have conveyed my sympathy and offered our full support to the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, MP. I spoke with the British ambassador this morning to express our sense of solidarity and our shock at these awful events. The ties that bind us across the Irish Sea are very close and strong. We feel, very keenly, that same sense of shock and horror that our colleagues, families and friends in Britain feel.

This is being treated as a terrorist attack and it has the hallmarks, as the Deputy said, of other attacks in Brussels and Paris. Whatever the motivation, there can quite clearly never be any justification for this type of inhumanity. I have been briefed by the Garda authorities and I spoke with the Commissioner this morning. An Garda Síochána is in constant contact with its UK counterparts, directly and through its liaison person there. Ireland cannot consider itself immune from the threat posed by international terrorism and extremism. The expert advice is that while an attack is possible here, it is unlikely. All possible steps are being taken by An Garda Síochána, supported by Defence Forces where necessary, to deal with any threat to this country. They will continue to work very closely with UK and international colleagues to make sure that we remain safe. There are a small number of people here whose activities are a cause for concern in terms of supporting terrorism. The authorities will continue to monitor them very closely. Today, however, is really about expressing our sympathy to all who have been affected by this appalling outrage in London.

On the points the Deputy raised about ConnectIreland and the Succeed in Ireland initiative, there was a detailed discussion on that in the Dáil yesterday. The Minister, Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor, made the situation in that regard very clear. It was borne out of the Global Irish Economic Forum with the aim of, rightly, involving our global diaspora. The context that should be put behind this is the fact that job creation has been so successful in this country. A strong policy has brought us to a point where unemployment has reduced from 15% to 6%.

On the Deputy's point on extending the contract, the Minister, Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor, made it clear yesterday that it is not legally permissible, due to public procurement law, to extend the contract. It has already been extended by one year, and if the programme is to continue the IDA would need to put it out to tender. The board considered the future of the programme at its meeting in November and made the decision not to re-tender at this time. That does not mean that a definitive decision has been taken in respect of the initiative's long-term future.

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