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

I do agree. The Regency murder trial is now over and we have two convictions of people who were involved in serious organised crime. I want to thank the gardaí, the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, and the courts for their work. We have had no murder related to a criminal gang feud in Ireland in five years now and please God, that will continue. I really want to thank the gardaí, the prosecutors and the courts. The fact that there was one acquittal, even though it was not the outcome the State desired, confirms that the Special Criminal Court is a place where people get a fair trial and where the beyond-reasonable-doubt principle applies.

The evidence shows a clear and ongoing link or overlap between Republican paramilitaries and organised criminal gangs. These are similar people who commit similar crimes and it was always thus. They are not worlds apart. In fact, they inhabit the same netherworld in my view. The most recent case shows that the Special Criminal Court works.

By the way, I do not think for a second that Sinn Féin is in any way responsible for Jonathan Dowdall's actions. I know it can be difficult to vet candidates and I do not believe in guilt by association.

3 o’clock

However, I believe that we would not have had many of the convictions that Deputy Kehoe recounted were it not for the Special Criminal Court. I call on Sinn Féin, and on the leader of Sinn Féin in particular, to affirm that they will vote for the renewal of the Special Criminal Court in June - not an abstention, not not turning up, but that they will vote for the retention of the Special Criminal Court. I believe it is also important that the €1,000 donation should be returned, that information be disclosed on other donations made by Mr. Dowdall to Sinn Féin-----

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