Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 122: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs in view of the increased dissident activity in Northern Ireland as highlighted by the recent explosion in Derry, if he is satisfied that sufficient structures for effective cooperation are in place with the recently elected Conservative-Liberal Government in the UK to ensure that these dissidents are unable to undermine the peace process. [36124/10]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 129: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the recent bomb explosion in the City of Derry and if he will provide an update regarding recent developments in Northern Ireland [36093/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 122 and 129 together.

I utterly condemn the incident which took place on 5 October. As I noted in my subsequent public statement, this futile, destructive attack on the economic infrastructure in Derry took place at a time when the community is working hard to attract jobs, tourism and investment into the region. I know that great disruption was experienced by local residents and by many throughout the city who struggled to get to work and school the next morning. I would like to extend my best wishes for a quick and full recovery to the PSNI officers who sustained injuries while carrying out their duties in the area, protecting the local residents and serving the community.

The British and Irish Governments and An Garda Síochána and the PSNI have, over many years, developed strong and effective cooperation methods to combat the threat from those misguided few who would seek to disrupt the future for all our young people.

The devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont, which itself sent a powerful message to such self-delusionists that progress would not be impeded by their actions, has consolidated the good cooperation on these issues, not only between the police services, but also between other areas of our respective criminal justice systems.

A number of high-level meetings have taken place in recent weeks which give a good indication of the ongoing joint efforts being made by the British and Irish Governments and the devolved administration to tackle those who would seek to undermine the peace. I held useful discussions with the Secretary of State, Owen Paterson in Belfast on 11 October and also in Dublin on 19 September. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern, hosted the first trilateral meeting with his counterparts from Northern Ireland and Scotland, Minister of Justice, David Ford and Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill in Dundalk on 27 September, which was followed swiftly by the Eighth Annual Organised Crime Cross Border Seminar, held in Belfast earlier this month and attended by Minister Ahern and Minister Ford, the Garda Commissioner and the Deputy Chief Constable of the PSNI.

All these meetings have been in addition to regular ongoing liaison between our respective officials, including through the British Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat in Belfast and our Embassy in London and also directly between the two police services. I would assure the Deputies that we remain united in our determination to ensure these activities by so-called dissident republican elements are countered at every turn.