Ahern pledges to tackle dissidents

Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern has said security forces on both sides of the Border will continue efforts to “eke out” dissident republicans intent on violence.

Mr Ahern was speaking this morning following yesterday’s incident in which a massive 275kg bomb was defused by the British army in south Armagh.

"It is a very worrying development because it is a very substantial bomb and quite clearly was used to try and target PSNI officers," he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland."Thankfully, it didn't work."

He said there have been a number of diversion incidents in the south Armagh area which are suspected to have been designed to entice police officers into the area.

Mr Ahern said the Government and gardaí have been “constantly warning about the dangers” posed by dissident groups. “They’re very small, they have no significant support in the community, but they are extremely determined,” he said.

He cited the recent murders of a PSNI officer and two British army soldiers as examples of the threat posed.

He said the actions of a tiny minority threaten the demilitarisation process in Border regions which has seen a huge reduction in British army presence in the area.

The Minister said there are a small number of dissidents operating throughout the island of Ireland and there are still areas in the North that are proving difficult for the PSNI to police. He said it was important that the Stormont administration moves quickly on the devoluation of policing and justice powers so that the entire community in Northern Ireland can support the police.

“This is a set-back, but it will not deter the PSNI and the Gardaí from working on a constant basis together to try and eke out these very small number of people who are trying to drag us back … down the road of violence,” he said.

Local Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy called on anyone who had information about dissidents to ignore threats and contact the police.

“These people don’t have any support and don’t have any strategy,” he said.

He said the activity of dissidents was not designed “to bring anyone anywhere politically other than backwards”.