Last week, following threats to republican families in south Armagh who have been forthright in their support for the PSNI and their opposition to criminality, a booby trap bomb was left close to the home of a local Sinn Féin leader, Frank McCabe. Francis McCabe Jnr, whose only offence is that he is from a republican family, and who is a good, decent, hard working man and a good neighbour, was seriously injured. As the Taoiseach will be aware, issues in the North, especially in the Border area, are generally seized upon by some politicians here to attack Sinn Féin. In this instance, bhí siad go han-chiúin but this was a serious attack and an attempt to kill and it was an attack on the peace process. As far as I can gather, the Government has been silent. Those involved are a small number of criminals who are responsible over the years for the killing of volunteer, Keith Rogers, the beating to death of Paul Quinn, the murder of Garda Adrian Donohoe and the wounding of Michael Bellew recently. They have also threatened the lives of Conor Murphy MP and another republican family, the Carraghers.

Will the Taoiseach condemn the attempt to murder Francis McCabe Jnr? Will he ensure adequate resources are given to An Garda Síochána to investigate properly the activities of these criminals? Will he ensure that there is full co-operation with the PSNI and that the PSNI does what it is paid to do? Will he use this occasion to send a clear message of support and solidarity from this Government to the people of north Louth and south Armagh that it stands with them in their opposition to criminality and in support of their right to a policing service that protects them and their neighbours?

I condemn unreservedly the attempt to murder Francis McCabe. I condemned those who murdered Paul Quinn and Garda Adrian Donohoe unreservedly. I pledge that the Government will see to it that resources are made available to the Garda and that it continues to have full co-operation, as it does, with the PSNI in the pursuit of criminal activities of any description but most particularly in pursuit of those involved in the most serious crime, which is the murder or attempted murder of any individual. Obviously, the Deputy may have some more information about the particular individuals involved and I am sure he will have given that to both the Garda and the PSNI. The short answer to his question is that the Government is concerned about this, condemns it unreservedly and will continue to liaise with the Garda Commissioner in managing co-operation between the Garda and the PSNI. The resources required to deal with these individuals and this serious criminality will be made available to them.

Go raibh míle agat. I thank the Taoiseach for his reply but the silence from the Government on this issue was noted in south Armagh. I was there on Sunday at the commemoration for the two Brendans. It turned into a huge gathering in defence of neighbours and against these criminal attacks. The ongoing effort to demonise north Louth and south Armagh and the good people there needs to stop. I know that some of those who are engaged in these attacks have masqueraded as republicans but they are not republicans. There is a strong suspicion that some are agents working------

That is the legacy the Deputy has left behind.

Could the Ceann Comhairle ask the Deputy to stop detracting from what is a serious issue? This is nonsense from Fianna Fáil on these issues.

It is about time Deputy Adams addressed them.

Would the Deputy please stay quiet?

The Deputy should not talk to me about legacy issues.

There is a strong suspicion that some of these are agents working to a different agenda from the rest of us and they are opposed to Sinn Féin because the party stands against their activities. The vast majority of people in south Armagh support Sinn Féin but even more people support the peace process. I was there last Sunday. Children and elderly people, including one lady in her 90s, are representative of that rural republican heartland and they showed they had no support for these activities and support those who stand with the PSNI.

I have appealed time out of number, as I did again on Sunday, to anyone with any information on the killings of Paul Quinn, Garda Donohoe and Keith Rogers or the attacks on Michael Bellew and Francis McCabe Jnr to give it to the PSNI or An Garda Síochána or to give it to me and I will give it to them. We need action and we need to ensure that if An Garda Síochána requires more resources to tackle this problem, they will be made available to it. Will the Taoiseach join my call for greater co-operation between the PSNI and An Garda Síochána to deal with these issues?

Let me assure the Deputy that the Government does not demonise anybody.

Only the poor.

I again unreservedly condemn any attempts from any criminal element to inflict damage on people or to make serious attempts to murder somebody or have somebody murdered. That is an attack on the State, it is an attack on democracy and it is an attack on humanity. There is the very highest level of co-operation between the PSNI and the Garda. I had a briefing some time ago with the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Tánaiste from the Garda Commissioner in respect of a number of these matters. Gardaí have done exhaustive work with the PSNI in respect of these terrible atrocities. Members will recall the particular savagery of the murders of Paul Quinn, Adrian Donohoe, Keith Rogers and the others mentioned by the Deputy. I deplore these attempts to murder somebody by these particular individuals.

In so far as the function of the Garda is concerned, that is entirely a matter for the Commissioner working with the PSNI and they have their own close relationship. I assume the level of co-operation at the highest level between the PSNI and the Garda is the way it should be and the resources needed to follow through exhaustively on these crimes and, hopefully, to bring these people before the courts is at its highest level.

I agree with the Deputy on this matter.