Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, I warmly welcome newly elected Senator Máiría Cahill to the Seanad. I congratulate her and her family on the honour of serving in the Houses of the Oireachtas. I look forward to working with her over the remainder of the Seanad term. I am sure she will be an excellent addition to this House and I assure her of our co-operation as far as is possible. It does not happen all the time, as Senator Bacik will confirm, but now and again it does. I offer our congratulations on her election.

Given the day that is in it, I do not propose to move any amendments or to discuss any particular political matters. All our thoughts are with the French people following the barbaric attack by the so-called Islamic State on innocent people in Paris, which killed over 130 people. All of us are absolutely disgusted by this act of terrorism. We condemn terrorism all over the world, wherever it happens. Hundreds of people are killed every day in Syria and Iraq by these thugs and we in Ireland will have to pay very close attention to this. These are our European colleagues, European citizens. An attack on Paris is an attack on Dublin and an attack on Cork, Galway and Belfast. Those involved attack the freedoms we in Europe enjoy and we should never relent. Europe, France, the United States and others in the coalition should never relent in tracking down these murderers and annihilating them. This is a threat to democracy and to our way of life. We have seen monstrous acts carried out by this group, not only on the people of Paris but also on people in Syria. As a State, we sometimes have to look at what neutrality actually means. One cannot be neutral in the fact of these murderers.Whatever our Government and the intelligence services can do to assist in any small way should be done. Let us remember that more than 30 people with Irish passports and Irish citizens are fighting in Syria and Iraq for the so-called Islamic State. We have to look at how we deal with these citizens should they return to this country. I believe that at an appropriate time, after the three days of national mourning in France are completed, the Minister for Justice and Equality should come to the House and advise us in regard to security in Ireland because anybody going to the theatre, going out for a bite to eat, for a drink or to a football match, such as last night when the thousands of people who were in the Aviva stadium in Lansdowne Road, could just as easily have been a target for these thugs. I congratulate our team on its qualification for the European championships, following its fantastic win, even though this is not the right day to mention that specifically. At the appropriate time I suggest the Leader invite the Minister for Justice and Equality to come to the House because Ireland cannot be neutral when dealing with terrorists like these. I want to ensure as much as possible that our intelligence services are sharing information with those in other states who are leading the fight against the so-called Islamic State.