Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There will be a considerable amount of legislation dealing with the matter in the House before Christmas. Senator Bacik mentioned that the heads of the victims of crime Bill are being discussed by the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. I will try to ensure the Bill will be published as a Seanad Bill. We are willing to take it in the House as soon as it can be processed.

Senator Cullinane spoke about the problems with the peace process. After so many years one would have thought we would have normality restored in Northern Ireland, but unfortunately that is not the case. We need greater dialogue and to address the problems that are holding up the situation at the moment. In doing that we cannot just forget the problems on the policing side and, as Senator Paul Coghlan, mentioned the omertathat seems to be in place - the fear in the community in south Armagh and other areas of people who seem to be policing it but who are not part of the actual police force of the area.

The matter will need to be addressed by both Governments - on this side of the Border and in particular on the other side of the Border. There seems to be an absence of a police presence in those areas which is allowing these criminals to act with impunity. The matter was addressed by the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly in a report last year which called for a task force to eliminate these criminals. Some of them may have links with the Provisional IRA but there is no doubt that the army council is still in existence, as we all know. Whether it is organising criminality is another question.