merrion street

The Minister for Justice and Equality Charlie Flanagan, TD, has said that he found the displays at yesterday’s march in O’Connell Street very disturbing:

I know that all right-thinking members of the public are sickened at the sight of a small number of people in paramilitary uniforms, particularly after the horrific killing of a young journalist, Lyra McKee, in Derry on Thursday night.  These demonstrators do not represent the views of the Irish people who have been united for many decades in rejecting paramilitarism and are rightly revulsed at this display.    

I am informed that An Garda Síochana policed yesterday’s O’Connell Street event appropriately and with restraint in the circumstances.  The Gardai have to continually use their training and judgment to balance the rights of people to demonstrate.  They do this well and maintain the public’s trust.  At the same time, I am regularly briefed on these matters and I am satisfied that the Gardaí prioritise the security of the state in monitoring of all dissident activity and will continue to do so, in conjunction with the PSNI and other security partners.

Details of the law in this area including the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 which contains relevant provisions, is set out at the following link http://justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/terrorism