Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)

I thank Senators for their contributions. In an ideal world we would not need this resolution but as long as there are groups and individuals who are bent on usurping the democratic institutions of this jurisdiction, the State must have the means at its disposal to protect itself. We know from bitter experience that these organisations have few qualms, if any, in the methods they use to further their aims. It is their willingness to bomb and kill and the contempt they show for the democratically elected Government that maintains the need for this Act. The people of this island, North and South, have already shown through their endorsement of the Good Friday Agreement their rejection of violence as a feature of political struggle. Until the various offshoots of the republican movement who remain committed to violence give up the gun, the State will be required to continue to take various measures to ensure the safety of the public.

In my earlier statement I mentioned the threat posed by international terrorism. It is no exaggeration to state that the environment in which the State seeks to protect itself from terrorism has undergone drastic transformations with the rise of certain forms of international terrorism. Ireland, in common with its EU partners, continues to have a duty to contribute proactively to international security in the interests of public safety, domestically and internationally. The Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 was enacted to deal with this international terrorist threat by enabling the application of the Offences Against State Acts against international terrorist groups and individuals.

Although I do not wish to be in any way alarmist, it would be naive of anyone to think that Ireland does not need to have at its disposal the instruments necessary to fight international terrorism. Notwithstanding significant and welcome progress in Northern Ireland, the fact remains that this will not impact in the slightest in the short term on those groups which have never acknowledged the legitimacy of the democratically expressed wishes of the people of Ireland, North and South.

As is evidenced in the report laid before this House, the provisions of the 1998 Act remain actively in use and are yielding results. Equally, the Garda Síochána is clearly adopting a balanced and reasoned approach to the powers at its disposal. As the Garda authorities themselves state, the 1998 Act is regularly used and is proving to be a vital piece of legislation in the continuing fight against terrorism.

I join with colleagues in this House in looking forward to a time when the Act is no longer needed. Unfortunately, that day has clearly not yet arrived. In the meantime, the State must use all legitimate means to respond to the dissident paramilitary threat.

I wish to clarify a few issues that were raised in the debate. The total number of gardaí, including recruits, now adds up to more than 14,000. The Government is committed to increasing that number to 16,000. With regard to crime figures——