SECURITY:GARDA COMMISSIONER Fachtna Murphy has issued a warning to dissident republicans that he regards an attack on the Police Service of Northern Ireland as an attack on the police force which he heads himself.
Sharing a platform with his Northern Ireland counterpart Chief Constable Matt Baggott, the commissioner said that “very shortly” a Garda superintendent would be taking up duty on secondment with the PSNI.
“Unlike short-term exchanges, this will involve a member of one force in effect becoming a member of the other force for the length of the secondment, with all the powers of an officer of that force,” Commissioner Murphy said.
He told a conference on the economy organised in Cavan by the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly that, for many years, the job of attracting investment had been made “immeasurably more difficult” by the violence associated with the Northern Ireland conflict. “Unfortunately, the reality of life is that there are still dissident groups who seek a return to those dark days.
“These are a small group of ruthless people who seem to have adopted terrorism, and involvement in criminality of many kinds, as a way of life that they cannot put behind them.
“But I say this: you can be assured that An Garda Síochána, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, have no greater priority than making sure they won’t succeed.
“In the context of recent attacks on members of the PSNI, let me say plainly that, as far as I’m concerned, and as far as the membership of my force is concerned, an attack on a member of one force is regarded as an attack on us all,” he said.
This last remark was greeted with applause and cries of “Hear, hear!” by the assembled parliamentarians from both islands who had come for the start of the two-day conference.
Continuing, the commissioner said that: “Day in, day out, we are co-operating as colleagues in trying to thwart the activities of these people and bringing them to justice for the crimes they have committed.
“Their intentions to do harm though, and I must emphasise this, particularly to the security services of Northern Ireland, should not be underestimated.” He added that, “None of you, I’m sure, would expect me to go into detail about the joint operations which we have launched against these groups.
“Sadly, there have been tragic setbacks but there have been many, many solid successes too.” In this context he mentioned Constable Peadar Heffron, a PSNI officer seriously injured in a recent dissident attack, and wished him well. He added: “For as long as these groups remain a threat, they will be met by an unprecedented unity of purpose among the members of An Garda Síochána and the PSNI, underpinned by practical co-operation at its highest ever levels.”
Chief Constable Baggott said co-operation between the PSNI and the Garda was even better than between police forces in neighbouring parts of the UK. He was “delighted” a Garda superintendent was being seconded to the PSNI.
He added that, “Criminals do not respect borders. I’ll be careful how I say this so I don’t get myself in hot water, but the Border is an artificial concept for criminals.”