Tony Kett (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I support the motion that is before us this morning regarding this ongoing legislation. I also support the arguments put forward by the Minister of State on the need for it to continue. It is a pity we need to do this, but such is life. In this regard I share the sentiment of Senator Cummins's question to the Minister of State. I wonder whether there is light at the end of the tunnel in terms of when we might not have to renew this legislation annually. I realise that is probably difficult to answer, because one never knows what might happen from week to week or from month to month.

We are also aware of the tragic circumstances that gave rise to this legislation in the first instance, namely the Omagh bombing and the terrible hurt and maiming that took place there, which brought communities from North and South together in an arena of disgust. It is one of those milestones in history when we all know where we were at the time we heard the news. It is similar in that regard to recalling where one was when President John F. Kennedy was shot. Most people in Ireland, North and South, will remember where they were when they heard of the Omagh bombing.

It never ceases to surprise me that people with even half-baked intelligence could ever believe that anything can be gained from tragedies like Omagh. I would love to look into the mind of somebody who is responsible for such a tragedy for signs of any semblance of realisation of what was in his or her head when deciding to perpetrate or become involved in such acts. I fully endorse what the Minister of State has stated on the ongoing need for the legislation. The Good Friday Agreement remains in place and I have no doubt we need to be very conscious and diligent moving forward with that. There will be much debate and many meetings ahead. We hope that the restoration of devolved government will be a major step on that road if it happens sooner rather than later.

I am glad to note also the continuing excellent relationship between the PSNI and the Garda Síochána, which is the kernel as regards the period of peace we have enjoyed over the last couple of years. They have provided an effective buttress to the peace process as we know it. That continuing success and what we are doing here this morning are crucial in this regard.

Another compelling point for the continuation of peace is the real threat of international terrorism. There are more than lingering threats from the so-called Real IRA or Continuity IRA, as the Minister of State has pointed out. However, these have been fairly well contained by the Garda Síochána in conjunction with the PSNI. The threat of international terrorism is a new animal and has shown its ability to penetrate the most sophisticated security systems in the world. We only have to look at 9/11, Madrid and London to see how effective it can be.

We must forever be on guard against people who do not discriminate for a moment between an innocent child and their own pathetic objectives. As the Minister of State said, we can never assume for a moment we are immune from such an attack. In an ideal world this type of legislation would never be required. As there are individuals or groups who continue to undermine democracy, however, we must keep in place all the tools at our disposal in order to protect it.

I believe most people have no problem with dissident republicans making their point in a valid manner. Many of them have done that by way of publications in the past and there is no harm in having a critical voice, regardless of the standpoint they happen to be coming from. It is indefensible, however, when they try to push their viewpoint into the mainstream thinking and involve people in an absolutely hopeless campaign.

It is sad in many ways that people who have spent their lives on this island still fail to recognise the existence and achievements of this Republic. Eight years after the Good Friday Agreement was signed, those who cherish the achievement of a united Ireland see lasting peace as a prerequisite. I hope that those who aspire to the objectives and ideals of a united Ireland realise that there is only one way in which this can be achieved, namely, through dialogue and working together in harmony and in trust.

A sinister by-product to our success as regards the Northern Ireland peace process is the fact that so-called dissident republicans are now feeding armies down here with arms and expertise in terms of the drugs situation in particular. I speak for Dublin city, as I am aware of what is happening in the city. It is serious that so-called republicans can provide material for young thugs to kill each other in an attempt to establish who is boss of a drug situation in the city.

We must supply whatever resources are available and more in an attempt to fight this issue. It is a major issue for the cities, particularly Dublin, equal in its threatening capacity to anything that might happen on the other side of the Border. I wish the gardaí well in their pursuit of that and I wish the Garda and the PSNI well in their pursuit of continuing peace. I commend the motion to the House.