Minister Martin deplores Newry bomb

Deploring last night’s car bomb attack in the centre of Newry, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin T.D., said:

“This was a reckless, cowardly, criminal act which put at grave risk the lives of the community in Newry. This attack cannot be justified or excused. Its only purpose was to inflict suffering. Its perpetrators have no mandate or legitimacy.

The clearly expressed will of the people of this island, north and south, is that there should be peace and stability. This was reaffirmed a fortnight ago at Hillsborough, in the presence of the Taoiseach and Prime Minister Brown, when the First and deputy First Ministers, on behalf of their parties, agreed a timetable for devolving policing and justice powers from Westminster to the Northern Ireland Assembly, as well as a way forward on a range of sensitive issues.

That objective of consolidating partnership politics rightly remains our focus. The two Governments, and the political parties, will not be distracted from this course by a small criminal minority who seek to drag Northern Ireland into the mire of hatred and violence.”