Dáil unites to condemn dissident violence

Irish people, north and south, are united like never before in their condemnation of recent attacks by dissident republicans, Taoiseach Brian Cowen has told the Dáil.

Mr Cowen was speaking during a debate on an all-party motion condemning the murders of two British soldiers in Antrim on Saturday and the killing of a PSNI officer in Armagh on Monday night.

He said the violence was being perpetrated by an “evil and unrepresentative minority who want to drag us back to the past”.

“In these past few days, the eyes of the world have once more turned to our small island. They have seen images that may have seemed drearily familiar,” he told the House.

“But they have now seen something else. They have seen an unprecedented coming together of all of the traditions on this island and all of the people of this country.

“They have seen an island resolved to be reconciled, not divided. Everybody is absolutely united. The people and all of their democratic representatives reject this violence,” Mr Cowen said.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny had put forward the idea an all-party motion as a way of sending a clear message from the Dáil of the support of all its members in condemning the murders.

It also coincided with several peace rallies and vigils across the North today in protest at the murders.

The motion, which was approved by all parties, stated: “Dáil Eireann stands united together with the Irish and British Governments, the First and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, the members of the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly, democratic representatives and all the people of this island, and friends of Ireland around the world, in full support of the democratic institutions and in absolute opposition to violent attempts to undermine the peace process”.

Mr Kenny said the predetermined nature of the murders indicated they were carried out by "very evil people with warped minds".

"Those who carried out these atrocities have absolutely no mandate for their actions. They clearly and openly defy the expressed will, through the ballot box, of the people of Ireland, North and South, to leave violence in the past and to live together in peace.

In their actions they attempt to threaten the democratic process itself, and this cannot and will not be tolerated. These activities have no place in this country," he said.

Mr Kenny said he hoped the motion would strengthen the message that the Taoiseach and Ministers would deliver in the course of their international duties for St Patrick's Day, "which is that all the people of Ireland want to live in a country of peace, harmony, unity and strengthened resolve to build on the potential of the Good Friday Agreement, which so many people through so many walks of life for so many years worked so hard to implement".

Sinn Féin’s leader in the Dáil Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said the killings had no legitimacy and no moral or political basis.

“On behalf of Sinn Fein, I unreservedly condemn the three killings by the so-called Real IRA and the so-called Continuity IRA and I extend sympathy to the families of those killed,” he said.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said the murders were acts of treason against the Irish nation.

Mr Gilmore said: “These crimes are anti-national, anti-patriotic and anti-republican. They display nothing but contempt for the settled will of the Irish people.”

He said the dissident republican groups responsible for the murders were “simply criminal gangs who wrap the national flag around themselves in a futile attempt to provide some veneer of justification for murder.”

Mr Gilmore warned that since there were two separate attacks involving three murders in the space of 48 hours, “there must be a danger that the people of Northern Ireland were now facing a concerted campaign of murder and violence”.

Green Party leader John Gormley said he had read “with a heavy heart” the words of murdered Constable Stephen Carroll’s wife Kate who spoke of how her life had been destroyed by her husband’s murder.

“The sorrow she and other bereaved families are now suffering requires no further explanation,” he added.

Mr Gormley said the murders were cowardly and callous attacks on everything the people of this island, in these islands, have worked to create over the last decade, namely “a peaceful Northern Ireland that provides everybody with the opportunity of dignity, equality, prosperity and safety”.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said:“The murderers who have this week brought bloodshed back onto the streets of our country have thrown down a blatant and arrogant challenge to the overwhelming majority of Irish men and women who want to build on this island a sovereign, democratic Irish Republic, embracing all the people of our Nation.”

“The message which goes out from this House today is that those who seek to subvert the will of the people will not succeed because we - the people of these islands - whatever our political, religious or community identity - will not let them,” he said.