Last Friday night in Paris ordinary people going about their lives - socialising, attending a concert, the things people do on Friday nights - were slaughtered in an act of cold-blooded inhumanity at its worst.
It is clear today that the thoughts of all of us are with the people of France and I know the French Ambassador here is well aware of the revulsion of the people of Ireland at what happened. I want to pay tribute to him for giving voice here so eloquently to the feelings of the people of France. Yesterday I had the privilege to attend a meeting of members of police organisations from many countries and we indicated our deep solidarity with the French police.
It is right that in this chamber today we - as elected representatives in a democracy - should take the time to express our outrage at what happened and make clear our solidarity with the people of France, and, indeed, all those who have suffered at the hands of terrorists.
For what was under attack last Friday night was the freedoms we enjoy and democracy itself. The people who carried out the attacks despise those freedoms and hate the values we hold so dear. They want to impose on us all a dark, tyrannical world.
Because of the freedoms we enjoy democratic societies cannot impose the type of measures which would be necessary to ensure such attacks can never take place. To attempt to do so would be handing a victory to those who seek to terrorise us.
What is important is that we take all reasonable and proportional steps to try and counter the activities of those who seek to terrorise us.
Of course a difficult balance has to be drawn between the rights of individuals and the powers which a state takes upon itself to counteract terrorism. And, as I have said, we cannot take measures which fundamentally alter the nature of our societies in response to terrorist outrages. But I would ask people to bear one thing in mind: there is no more fundamental human right than the right to life and states are obliged to take all reasonable measures to vindicate that right.
So I want to be very clear today about one thing: we will not hesitate to take any reasonable action which is necessary to keep the people of this country safe and to cooperate with our partners to keep all our peoples safe.
In fact, because of the bleak history of the troubles on this island we have already a wide range of legislation in place to deal with terrorism. All the laws that applied to terrorist organisations based here apply to international terrorists too. And we have added to those laws to deal with specific features of international terrorism. So, for example, earlier this year the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Act created new offences of public provocation to commit terrorist offences, recruitment for terrorism and training for terrorism. But if more laws are shown to be needed at any stage we will introduce them without delay.
It is also the case because of that history that An Garda Síochána have immense experience in dealing with terrorism. I accept fully the fact that a new factor is the willingness of terrorists to die while carrying out attacks, but we do have experience on this island of groups who were prepared to engage in the type of mass slaughter seen last Friday night and attempt to overthrow democracy.
Before looking at organisations that are based very far away, we should remember that groups which perpetrated the bombing at Omagh are still involved in a terrorism here. I fail to see the moral difference between the activities of dissident republican groups and those of international terrorists. They should stop and stop now.
We cannot be complacent about the threat which this country faces from the threat of international terrorism. The expert advice is that while an attack is possible here it is unlikely. Nor is there any specific information that an attack is planned. But we have to remember we share the values of those countries where attacks have taken place. We are part of a Western civilisation whose values are repugnant to the zealots who engage in international terrorism.
I can assure the House that An Garda Síochána, supported where necessary by the Defence Forces, are taking all possible steps to deal with any threat to this country. Unfortunately there are a small number of people here whose activities are a cause for concern in the support which they offer to international terrorists. They will continue to be monitored and where evidence is available they will face the full rigour of our laws.
Since the attacks on Friday - and, indeed, before - the Gardaí have been taking all necessary security measures. The House will understand that, of their nature, security measures should not be disclosed publicly.
Last Saturday, in the wake of the attacks, I visited Garda Headquarters where I was briefed by the Garda Commissioner and some of her senior officers. I can tell the House that I was impressed by how the Gardaí swung into action last Friday night both in terms of dealing with any threat that might have arisen here and in cooperation with their international partners. It was of particular use that An Garda Síochána already had in place a full time liaison officer based in our Embassy in Paris.
The Garda Commissioner has assured me that priority has been - and is being - given to the training of specialist units who would be in the front line dealing with attacks. This has included training both at home and abroad and jointly with the Defence Forces. In addition, specialist units here enjoy excellent working relationships with their counterpart units abroad.
While, in the short term, the Gardaí are taking whatever additional security measures are necessary, we have to recognise that the threat from international terrorism is an evolving one and our response must evolve. That is why, for example, the Garda Commissioner is carrying out a review at present and will be letting me know of any additional requirements that arise. It is vital that all concerned keep their responses to a fluid and challenging situation under continuous and rigorous review and that is exactly what is happening. This is against the background of the elaborate infrastructure which we have in place for emergency planning.
It is, of course, important that the response by the Gardaí is not just an immediate security one. That is why I welcome the extensive efforts which they make to build fruitful relationships with our new communities. We should not forget that communities from which people feel alienated can be a breeding ground for fanaticism.
Clearly the gathering of intelligence and its exchange is the most important issue in trying to prevent such attacks. At the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, which I will be attending next Friday, I expect this issue to have a particular prominence. The Gardaí already cooperate extensively with their international partners and Ireland, for its part, will support any necessary measures in this regard.
I want to ensure the House too that all reasonable steps will be taken to ensure that migration into this country will not be used as a covert route by those who seek to do us harm. We should be very careful to remember not to attribute terrorism to race or religion. It is the fault of terrorists, and the communities which they come from or the faiths which they espouse should not be blackened by their evil deeds. What happened in Paris on Friday night was a stark reminder of the dangers we face from international terrorism, but it did not change the fact that a human catastrophe involving many migrants still needs to be addressed.
While these are troubling and challenging times, I have no doubt that the strength of democracy and the power of freedom will prevail.