Dáil debates

Tuesday, 5 November 2019

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions

 

2:20 pm

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I say again that the threats made to the directors of Quinn Industrial Holdings are totally unacceptable, as is the violence perpetrated against Kevin Lunney. It is a question of the rule of law. Law and order must prevail in all parts of the country. I met the Garda Commissioner, with the Minister for Justice and Equality, on this matter only last week. I spoke to John McCartin twice on the phone and I will speak to him again. He has been complimentary about the interest which the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Humphreys, and I have taken in this issue over a period. The Garda Commissioner is meeting the directors of Quinn Industrial Holdings today to discuss a number of ongoing investigations relating to these threats. The posters, as far as I am aware, have been removed. They had been removed previously, were put up again and have now been removed again. We have put additional resources into the Border area, including more than 100 additional gardaí in the past two years, extra Garda staff and a fully armed service unit for the Cavan area. The Garda Commissioner informs me that the level of resourcing will continue. On foot of our discussion, he will discuss with the PSNI how the Garda and PSNI can best work together on a joint investigation. I am not sure if a statutory agency is the best way for them to do so, as something like that takes a long time to establish, but I would not rule it out.

The best thing they can do is work together in a practical way if they have not been doing that adequately up to now. We discussed some other actions that could also be taken but perhaps it is best if they are not discussed in this open forum. This is, of course, primarily a Garda matter and something for the Garda to investigate south of the Border. It involves the PSNI as well.

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