Minister Micheál Martin expresses disgust at car hijackings and bomb scares in Northern Ireland

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Micheál Martin, expressed disgust at the spate of car hijackings and bomb scares in Northern Ireland.  

“These apparently coordinated acts of criminal anti-social behaviour have caused distress and inconvenience to many people going about their daily business.   These actions appear devoid of purpose, apart from causing disruption, raising tension and putting pressure on police resources.  

They are presumably the work of so-called dissident republicans.  These people are not republicans.  They are the enemies of republicanism.  A republic must be founded on the support of the people.  This tiny minority are defying the spoken will of the people.  They have no support beyond their ideological and physical ghettos.  Decent people throughout Ireland – North and South - reject them.   We are determined to maintain our progress towards peace and reconciliation in spite of them.” 

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31st March 2009
Press Office