Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)

Since the House last sat, several issues have emerged which have been good, distressing, sad and horrific. One of the good news stories was the re-election of Senator Paschal Mooney to the House. One of the distressing items was the Minister for Finance's illness and how it was brought into the public domain. The sad matter was the death of Cardinal Daly. I was privileged to be at his funeral, a very joyous occasion in a sad way.

In October I commended people working together for new beginnings for Northern Ireland. One of the new beginnings was the Gaelic football tournament between the PSNI, the Garda, the New York Police Department and the London Metropolitan Police Service, held in south Belfast and which the Democratic Unionist Party Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Mr Nelson McCausland, attended.

That week the PSNI team was captained by Peadar Heffron. He now remains in a critical but stable condition in the Royal Hospital, Belfast. Having visited the hospital, I commend Peadar, his wife Fiona and their families for their dedication, quiet dignity and great determination to see him through his horrific attack.

Will the Leader set aside an hour this week to allow us to put on record that those people who dare to say they carry out these attacks in the name of republicanism, are not representing the people of any part on this island? We must put on record that these attacks are not acceptable, that we have moved on and the Good Friday Agreement was accepted by the majority of the people of this island. If these attacks are an effort to stop Gaelic-speaking, Gaelic football players joining the PSNI, we must be of one voice to say it is not acceptable and it does not represent us or any others on this island.

If we left such a debate go beyond this week, we would do a disservice to our future. We have a new future, signalled by many events but none more so than that particular football tournament in October. I would like to think the House, all parties united, will send a clear and loud message of condemnation from the Twenty-six Counties to our friends in the Six Counties. We must say these attacks are not what we want and do not represent our views. Instead, we want to see those who blew up this gentleman caught and prosecuted. Anyone with any information should come forward. We must be clear in our unity on this subject.