Brendan Ryan (Labour)

On behalf of the Labour Party I would like to be associated with the remarks of Senator Brian Hayes. I had the pleasure of knowing Jim Mitchell for the best part of 20 years or more. As well as being a politician I respected, he was a person I liked. On both grounds his demise at a young age is particularly regrettable. We in the Labour Party would like to convey our deepest sympathies to his family and the Fine Gael Party.

I agree with Senator O'Toole. Perhaps I am poorly informed, but in the 1980s, if there was even a whiff of a Northern Ireland connection with political activities with which I was involved, at least three or four large members of the Garda Síochána would observe the meeting to make sure nothing subversive happened. It is a mystery to me how the resources that were available for such activity in the 1980s have not been redirected to deal with an equally potent threat to life in society. I urge the Leader to invite the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to the House to discuss the issue.