The despicable shooting in Omagh reminds us starkly of that awful era in our country when so many innocent people lost their lives and so many were seriously injured. Last night's horrific incident strongly reinforces the message that the Government must always ensure every necessary resource is provided to An Garda Síochána and all other relevant statutory agencies to rid our society of this small number of criminals and thugs who shamelessly masquerade as so-called republicans. It is also essential we continue to have the best possible cross-Border collaboration in policing and security issues.

We need to have the ability to apprehend terrorists who may come in to our jurisdiction. There are unique policing demands in Border regions. Garda authorities at national level in allocating resources must be mindful of those additional demands on our Garda personnel. I sincerely hope the PSNI does the same in Northern Ireland. The political vacuum in Northern Ireland serves the interest of nobody and it is to be hoped we will have progress quickly in that respect.

I agree wholeheartedly with Deputy Smith, who has a long-standing commitment to peace on the island. In his work as a public representative over many years he has been a significant contributor to peace on the island, particularly in the Border region, so I know his comments are heartfelt. We were all very shocked at the callous and depraved manner of yesterday's attack, which injures society as a whole within Northern Ireland and on this island. Our thoughts are with the PSNI in general now as a result of this attack. Their colleague, Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, was highly respected among his peers and indeed among the Garda for his extraordinary work in detecting many serious crimes. He is a very significant person in his own right, in policing terms and in terms of community support as well. That idea of ensuring the proper resources and proper co-operation, which is at a high level between the PSNI and the Garda, is without question.