I wish to condemn in the strongest possible terms acts of thuggery, brutality, cowardice and inhumanity which have been unleashed on the people of Dublin this afternoon at the hands of an organised mob who came to Dublin with the intention of deliberately creating mayhem in a peaceful and prosperous city. 

I want to commend An Garda Síochána for, yet again, standing in the breach against acts of thuggery and political terror.  In particular I want to express my shock and anger that members of An Garda Síochána have been injured by people who were carrying and defiling our national flag.  I have asked the Commissioner to convey to the injured Gardaí and their families my wishes for a speedy recovery and my gratitude for their courage. 

The only message these people have managed to convey to the people of Dublin and of Ireland is that sectarian violence is, once again, being unleashed against all of the principles of the Good Friday Agreement and the overwhelming wishes of the Irish people. 

The cowardly actions of a small, wholly unrepresentative number of people will not deter the Government in our pursuit of peace, reconciliation and inclusive democratic politics in Northern Ireland. 

These actions have nothing to do with republicanism and Irish unity.  They betray both.

I have just concluded a brief meeting with a small delegation led by Jeffrey Donaldson, M.P., and Danny Kennedy, MLA and expressed my regret to them that their right under the Constitution to assemble peacefully was denied them.  In turn, they asked me to thank the Gardaí for their professionalism and courage and expressed their profound regret that members of An Garda Síochána had sustained injuries. 

25 February 2006