Mark Dearey (Green Party)

Some time ago I asked the Leader if the Minister for Justice and Law Reform could provide us with an assessment of the so-called dissident threat on this island. Last night's interception of a viable mortar on the northbound carriageway of the M1 outside Dundalk brings to attention again the activity of these people as they essentially attempt to challenge and undermine the basic precepts of the Good Friday Agreement. This is nothing less than an attack on the Good Friday Agreement, which underlines the legitimacy of seeking a united Ireland but also recognises the legitimate majority wish of the people of Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK. This attack is about assailing, assaulting and breaking down that fine balance and the statutorily recognised wish on both sides of the Border. This is an extremely serious situation and I ask that the Minister come to the House to give us his assessment. Recently, a Member of the Opposition described the banks as having done more damage to the Irish economy than the IRA. This may be true on a national basis but along the Border our economy has been damaged consistently over the course of the Troubles and there is a real danger that this damage may be inflicted again on the local economy. It cannot be overestimated how serious a threat this is and how bad it is for me to hear the name of my town, Dundalk, in the same sentence as "viable mortars". It undermines the confidence of the place. No right-thinking person in Dundalk supports this or could possibly conclude that this has ever been of any benefit to the area. It involves a tiny minority of people who enjoy no support except within their own ideological bubble. This House has to uphold the Good Friday Agreement which has been in place since May 1998. There is a danger that as time passes its validity and strength could be corroded. These people are recruiting. There is a younger generation which needs to hear from this House an assertion that the Good Friday Agreement is the future for relations between the North and South.