The Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Mr. Alan Shatter, T.D,
today recommended to Dáil Éireann that a number of crucial sections of the
Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 should be renewed and
affirmed in legislation for a period of 12 months.
The relevant legislation was enacted and borne out of the 1998 Omagh
bombing atrocity which claimed the lives of 29 innocent people and injured
over 200 people. It facilitates prosecutions for membership of illegal
organisations and renders it an offence for a person to withhold
information which might be of material assistance in preventing the
commission of a serious offence or securing the apprehension, prosecution,
or conviction of another person for such an offence.
The Omagh bombings were an attempt by paramilitaries to undermine the
exceptional and ground breaking work that was taking place at that time in
establishing the Peace Process. With the success of the Peace Process, it
is now blatantly obvious that this futile attempt failed to destroy the
existing fortitude of both communities on this island and only galvanised
their desire for democracy and peace.
Speaking in the Dáil today, Minister Shatter said “It is a testament to the
resolve of those parties who supported the peace process that not only did
it survive this attack but it flourished and great advances have been made
in normalising politics in Northern Ireland. We must never forget,
however, the suffering of so many people who were bereaved by the mindless
criminality of the very few.”
The purpose of today’s address was to allow the Oireachtas to decide
whether the current circumstances justified the continued operation of the
relevant sections of the Act. Speaking in the house, Minister Shatter
said,
“The clear message from the Report is that the relevant sections of the Act
continue to be of significant value to the Gardaí in tackling the threat
from terrorism. The Garda authorities consider that the Act continues to be
one of the most important tools available to them in the ongoing fight
against terrorism.”
Unfortunately the ongoing threat from a variety of subversive paramilitary
groups, both in this jurisdiction and in Northern Ireland demonstrates the
acute need for the necessary continuance of these sections of the 1998 Act.
The recent tragic murder of PSNI Constable Ronan Kerr is a stark
demonstration of their ongoing murderous intent and only proves to
highlight the unfortunate necessity of these provisions.
Speaking on the matter, Minister Shatter said “A Cheann Comhairle, I would
be delighted to be able to inform Members that these provisions are no
longer considered necessary. However, that would necessitate a very
significant change of attitude on the part of these criminal, terrorist
groups. In the absence of such a change I could not as Minister for
Justice and Equality recommend to the Dáil that valuable legislative
provisions be allowed to lapse.
I consider that the relevant provisions of the 1998 Act should remain in
operation for a further 12 months and I commend this resolution to the
House.”