Those convicted by the Special Criminal Court in the past include John Gilligan, Patrick "Dutchy" Holland, Brian Meehan for the murder of Veronica Guerin, Pearse McAuley, Jeremiah Sheehy, Michael O'Neill, Kevin Walsh for the slaying of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe in 1996, Michael McKevitt for directing terrorism as leader of the Real IRA, brothers John and Wayne Dundon for murdering innocent men in Limerick and Thomas "Slab" Murphy, who was jailed for 18 months for tax fraud. Mr. Murphy was later described by Deputy Mary Lou McDonald as a "good Republican". In 2022 Deputy McDonald's good friend Jonathan Dowdall was jailed for facilitating the Regency gangland murder. That was the second time Dowdall was convicted. He was sentenced for waterboarding in 2015 while serving as a Sinn Féin councillor. He was convicted twice in the Special Criminal Court; not many criminals have achieved that feat.

Is there a question Deputy?

The Special Criminal Court has been doing a very good job of putting away serious criminals since it was established in 1972. Four men have now been found guilty in the Special Criminal Court of facilitating the 2016 Regency gangland murder. This would not have occurred if Sinn Féin was in power as it would not have supported the court.

Your time is up, Deputy.

Deputy McDonald's criminal councillor saw more of the Special Criminal Court than he did the Dublin City Council chamber.

Deputy, you are over time now please.

Does the Taoiseach agree that while a review is ongoing, the Special Criminal Court is essential if we are to have stronger and safer communities?

I do agree. The Regency murder trial is now over and we have two convictions of people who were involved in serious organised crime. I want to thank the gardaí, the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, and the courts for their work. We have had no murder related to a criminal gang feud in Ireland in five years now and please God, that will continue. I really want to thank the gardaí, the prosecutors and the courts. The fact that there was one acquittal, even though it was not the outcome the State desired, confirms that the Special Criminal Court is a place where people get a fair trial and where the beyond-reasonable-doubt principle applies.

The evidence shows a clear and ongoing link or overlap between Republican paramilitaries and organised criminal gangs. These are similar people who commit similar crimes and it was always thus. They are not worlds apart. In fact, they inhabit the same netherworld in my view. The most recent case shows that the Special Criminal Court works.

By the way, I do not think for a second that Sinn Féin is in any way responsible for Jonathan Dowdall's actions. I know it can be difficult to vet candidates and I do not believe in guilt by association.

However, I believe that we would not have had many of the convictions that Deputy Kehoe recounted were it not for the Special Criminal Court. I call on Sinn Féin, and on the leader of Sinn Féin in particular, to affirm that they will vote for the renewal of the Special Criminal Court in June - not an abstention, not not turning up, but that they will vote for the retention of the Special Criminal Court. I believe it is also important that the €1,000 donation should be returned, that information be disclosed on other donations made by Mr. Dowdall to Sinn Féin-----

I thank the Taoiseach; we are over time.

-----and that we get more detail on Sinn Féin's knowledge of his actions. It is clear from Deputy Ó Broin's interview this morning that there was more than an inkling and that there was knowledge.