Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leader for having this debate today. We all acknowledge that the struggles faced by the people of Northern Ireland during the Troubles were a real injustice. It was forced on them by the divisions of history and the low bar set by that history for how neighbour should treat neighbour. The way people in the North were treated by paramilitaries during those years must be condemned. The cruel realities of those days are a stain on the histories of these islands and it has long been clear that peace was not only the will of the people but the responsibility of their leaders and the leaders of parties to build and sustain. We must all recognise this, particularly the parties in the North. I compliment the Minister on the role he has played since he took office in ensuring this is done. Recognising the genuine grievances of both sides - and I stress both sides - a peace was painstakingly built on imperfect foundations. This peace was rightly held up as a model for the world of what can be achieved when people of good will and strong character reach across divisions in the name of something greater. From the pragmatic and cautious hope of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 to the celebration of the St Andrew's Agreement in 2006, this House has long applauded the inspiring progress made in the North and South. I acknowledge all people in the current Government and previous Governments who took part in that. I also acknowledge Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness who were regarded as the "Chuckle Brothers".

However, we now face a serious impasse. The hard-won stability of the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland is uncertain and it can feel like we have moved backwards in the saga of peace in Northern Ireland. Two things need to be made very clear here. The rule of law is the foundation of any viable state. No crime should stand above or outside that rule of law. No citizen, group of citizens or citizens linked to any party should stand above or outside that rule of law. An imperfect foundation was necessary for the peace process in Northern Ireland - an understanding that the priority was moving forward in peace rather than justice for past crimes. Both sides accepted this and the peace was built. It is a testament to the strength of that peace that we now recognise that this looking the other way is not only no longer acceptable but is no longer necessary. Nobody should look the other way when crimes are being committed.

The latest development in the political crisis was sparked by the shooting of Kevin McGuigan. The police have said current members of the IRA were involved in the shooting - a revelation that has heaped pressure on Sinn Féin to explain why the "supposedly" defunct paramilitary organisation is still in existence. This must be researched. I heard the former Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, say on the radio last month and write in The Irish Timesfour or five weeks ago about what happened when he was in power at the time the Provisional IRA "stood down". He said that the Irish and British governments deliberately allowed the Provisional IRA to continue as an "unarmed and withering husk" rather than risk a dissident group filling the void left by its disbandment. We must now investigate whether this "withering husk" is coming to the fore.

Thankfully, Northern Ireland today is not what it once was. The people of Northern Ireland have tasted enough peace now that it has become a stable part of life there. That could be seen in the many recent interviews of ordinary people asking for elected representatives to get on with the job they are paid to do. Any threat to that peace is rightly seen as crime against the rule of law and against all communities of Northern Ireland. This week, the Secretary of State also announced that there will be enhanced support and resources for tackling criminality in Northern Ireland.This is in keeping with the Government's strong determination to tackle crime, including organised crime. The Secretary of State said that where cross-Border crime is in question there is also very strong North-South co-operation involving the police. I support Senator Paul Coghlan. The Secretary of State said that ways to further enhance the excellent work of the co-operation between North and South will be examined. I stress that part of the Secretary of State's statement, and support Senator Paul Coghlan in his call for a North-South corridor because more co-operation is needed. Senator Paul Coghlan and Senator Walsh, and the fine report by the North-South body on the diesel laundering situation, have shown that a blind eye is being turned and it is no longer necessary. As joint custodians of peace in Northern Ireland, it is everybody's responsibility, including Sinn Fein's responsibility, to openly face the elements or some elements that may at one time have been connected to their organisation, be they known or unknown, which act as a threat to peace and the rule of law and which do not take ownership of peace and the prosperity of all the people of Northern Ireland rather than one community over the other. We cannot have a split community. If people are in government together, they should govern as a whole for the entire community. It is their responsibility to face those elements and a culture that shies away from the type of transparency demanded of a parliamentary party in a democracy. It is the Sinn Féin attitude to truth - that truth can be moulded to fit an ideology - that is a cause of concern and a cause of breakdown not only in the North but throughout the whole of Ireland.

The Fine Gael-Labour Party Government has had to make tough decisions to get this country out of the economic mess it inherited. When there are people in power in Northern Ireland, decisions have to be made. I will mention-----