SEANAD REPORT: The Fine Gael leader in the House, Mr Brian Hayes, said he was very concerned about reports he had received about the new recruiting ground that the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA had in some third-level institutions in this country.
"It would seem to me that there has been infiltration in some of our colleges by these fundamentalist organisations and that they are intent on derailing the peace process. They have at their disposal a small dedicated new young group of terrorists who are now prepared to bring mayhem and destruction to this country and to the neighbouring island," he said.
This threat had to be counted, said Mr Hayes, who supported the continuation for a further year of the Anti Terror Legislative measures introduced following the Omagh bomb atrocity five years ago. The extension was approved by the House.
Mr Willie O'Dea, Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, said he would raise the question of dissident Republicans attempting to recruit in our universities and in other third-level institutions with the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, and also the Garda authorities .
Mr Jim Walsh (FF) said many people were worried about the frequent reports of collusion between the security forces and the paramilitaries in the North over the period of the Troubles.
One would sincerely hope that that was not continuing into the present day, he said.
While stating that the Labour Party supported the extension of the emergency provisions, Ms Joanna Tuffy (Lab) said it was very important that we could as soon as possible revert to legislation that would reflect a stable and peaceful society which Ireland largely was except for the minorities who did not want peace.