On 10 December, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform said outside the House that he had incontrovertible evidence that senior IRA personnel were involved in organised crime in funding Sinn Féin. On 16 December, the Taoiseach, in response to a question from me in the House, said he considered Sinn Féin and the IRA to be two sides of the one coin. Last week, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform elaborated on his claim and said the wall between Sinn Féin and the IRA was like a Chinese wall indivisible and that money available to one organisation was available to another.

Does the Taoiseach believe the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, given the gravity of the claims made by him and that he repeated specifically that he was speaking as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform regarding the information and intelligence made available to him? Has the Taoiseach called him in and examined the evidence available to him, which leaves him in no doubt that funding is being made available, through senior IRA personnel involved in organised crime, to the Sinn Féin Party? If so, what does he propose to do about it in his capacity as Taoiseach and as head of the European Union?

I dealt with this matter just before the Christmas break and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has made a number of statements both inside and outside the House on it. I believe he has also answered some written questions today. He made the point that the collection of evidence regarding any criminal matter is a matter for the Garda Síochána. Obviously, it should be left to the Garda and it is a matter for it to decide what resources to use in the pursuit of criminal matters, be it the Criminal Assets Bureau or other parts of the force.

Deputy Kenny correctly stated that in the House before Christmas I dealt with the allegations about the funding of Sinn Féin. I do not want to comment further on those. I will repeat what I said then and have said when I have been asked by journalists since: if some members of Sinn Féin want to make charges of corruption against other parties, they should carefully consider from where they are coming on the issue. I have said that outside the House and I say it again here.

I cannot share with the House the details I receive in confidential briefings from the Minister of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on security matters and that has never been done. I have made it clear, however, that I believe that Sinn Féin and the IRA are two sides of the same coin. Deputy Kenny is correct that I have always said that. Where there are suggestions that the IRA or people with connections to it are involved in crime to benefit the IRA, it raises issues for Sinn Féin, a point I have made several times.

A central goal of the peace process has been to secure the complete cessation of all involvement in criminal activity by paramilitary groups. All Members of the House should continue to use their influence in that regard. I have made that point in all my meetings and we have passed legislation to establish the Independent Monitoring Commission which will now oversee this area. Everyone must co-operate with that body because it has a vital role to play in moving the situation forward.

The investigation and prosecution of criminal activity is a matter for the Garda Síochána and the Director of Public Prosecutions and I do not have a role in that. While there has been no finding in court on this matter, that does not mean investigations will not continue. I do not withdraw the remarks I made in the House in December but I have nothing new to say to Deputy Kenny. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform said what he said. Deputy Kenny asked me if I believe him and I do.

That is precisely what is wrong with the Government. I did not ask the Taoiseach to share the intelligence information made available to him or the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform with the House. The Taoiseach said he does not have a role in the matter but, as Taoiseach, he has a role in ensuring that the institutions and laws of the State are upheld in the democracy in which we live.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is no fool. He is a Minister of a sovereign Government speaking outside the privilege of the House as Minister and basing his remarks on information supplied to him by intelligence sources. His statement was categorical and it is astonishing that the Taoiseach, as Head of Government and President of the European Union, has not seen fit to uphold his remit based on the direct statement of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform that organised crime and senior IRA personnel are involved in funding Sinn Féin. If an allegation of such gravity were made about Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Labour Party or the Green Party, there would be calls for public inquiries and for the forces of the State to see that such matters were investigated, exposed and dealt with by the law.

Fine Gael has no truck with illegal armies, punishment beatings or organised crime. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform stated his case categorically and the population of the country and I expect the Taoiseach to act on our behalf to uphold the rule of law, the institutions of the State and the democracy in which we all carry out our duty.

I do not want Deputy Kenny to misquote or misinterpret me. I have stated that there are no direct criminal prosecutions and that the investigation and prosecution of criminal activity are ongoing. I have already answered the question. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has also said that there are investigations, but they are matters for the Garda Síochána and the DPP. I am not saying that we are not concerned about these issues, I am saying that there are ongoing investigations in a number of areas but no prosecutions and I have no role in those investigations or prosecutions.

Obviously, whether it is in Northern Ireland or the Republic or Ireland, we will do all we can to pursue the ending of any activity of the nature referred to, including punishment beatings. Deputy Kenny was right when he said there have been a number of punishment beatings lately. These are all issues I will continue to address but, while security briefings are given to me and I exchange information on security briefings in my discussions with the British Prime Minister, they are not matters I can put before the House.