Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister and the forthright manner in which he elaborated on the republican movement and those involved therein. It has always been my belief that Sinn Féin and the IRA were inextricably linked and that the republican movement is involved in corruption and racketeering, and continues to be involved in punishment beatings.

We, on this side of the House, have no wish to play politics with the issue, irrespective of what the Minister may think. It is our duty as an Opposition to get clear answers to questions put in the public domain. I looked at my party's policy from more than 30 years ago when the Minister was, perhaps, a party member. It spelled out that our policy was the reunification of the country by peaceful means and with the consent of the majority in Northern Ireland. They were the principles under which I joined Fine Gael and they are still our principles. I am glad they form part of the Good Friday Agreement.

When capital punishment was abolished, a cast-iron guarantee was given that anyone convicted of the murder of a member of the Garda Síochána or the Defence Forces would serve his or her full sentence. That was the least the Government of the day or the public expected. Like Senator Minihan, I believe the attitude of the public has remained constant on this important issue. The gardaí, guardians of the peace, have put their lives on the line through turbulent times since the foundation of the State. They have faced down these so-called republican activists who pose a threat to the very existence of the State and its institutions. We continue to owe a deep debt of gratitude to the members of the force for their dedication and bravery in confronting these violent criminals who, according to the information given by the Minister, do not even recognise our courts or the existence of the State and its institutions. The Minister's outline of IRA beliefs concurs with my understanding of the IRA and the republican movement. It is incumbent on us as legislators to have strong deterrents in place which will make criminals think long and hard before they shoot with intent to injure or murder a member of the Garda Síochána or the Defence Forces. That such criminals should serve their full sentences is the least that members of the force or the community as a whole should expect from its legislators.

Detective Garda Jerry McCabe was gunned down in a ruthless, cold-blooded and calculated way by his killers. As has been stated by previous speakers, they only avoided 40 year sentences for capital murder because of the intimidation of witnesses. It is important that the public, especially teenagers who probably do not know anything about this matter, should be informed about the republican movement and what these killers did to people who were protecting us.

As other speakers said, the Provisional IRA and the Sinn Féin leadership stated immediately after the murder that they had no involvement in the killing. A few days later they sought, and continue to seek, the release of these murderers as part of the Good Friday Agreement. Only yesterday we had a challenge from Gerry Adams who stated that in a one to one discussion with the Taoiseach it was said that these prisoners would be allowed release under the Good Friday Agreement. The Taoiseach has continually stated that these prisoners will not be released under the Good Friday Agreement. The Minister reiterated that this evening. I would believe democratic politicians before I would believe the leadership of the so-called republican movement.

It is worrying for Mrs. McCabe and members of the Garda to hear about proposals for deals being made to free the killers of Jerry McCabe if certain eventualities come to pass. The former Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy O'Donoghue, in his letter in 1999 to Mrs. McCabe pledged that the IRA members responsible for gunning down her husband would serve their full prison sentences. This view is also held by the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy O'Dea, and many other members of the Government. In my view that letter was a legally binding contract between the Government and Mrs. McCabe. Reports in the public domain indicate that the two men still being sought by the Garda for Jerry McCabe's murder may be allowed to return home as part of a separate concession to terrorists. That point was raised by Senator Brian Hayes and I do not believe the Minister addressed it.

It was deeply disturbing to see reports in The Irish Times on 13 May about a British source stating that Britain always believed that a deal had been done last October between the Irish Government and Sinn Féin to release the murderers of Detective Garda McCabe. These kinds of reports are disturbing and they were embarrassing to the Government. The caused deep hurt to the McCabe family. We need to know exactly what was agreed at these meetings in October last. Will the IRA disband? Will the current violence and corruption end? These questions must be answered. We have waited long enough for normal constitutional democracy to prevail.