Gardai must continue to make determined efforts to discover the location of IRA arms dumps in this State, Mr Michael Lanigan (FF) said. While welcoming the examination of dumps by international inspectors, he said anyone would be scared by the amount of weapons which had been "found". However, we had to be proud of the fact that the international inspectors, with the assistance of the IRA, had been able to identify where these dumps were.
Mr John Dardis (PD), the deputy Government leader in the House, said it was probably the most significant move in the peace process that the guns had now been put away from use and that that had been verified.
Mr Labhras O Murchu (FF) said the latest developments in regard to arms helped in many ways to underline that the Taoiseach and the Government had read this picture correctly from the beginning. It was important to remember this in the knowledge that decommissioning had almost destroyed the whole peace process.
Ms Helen Keogh (FG) said an end to punishment beatings was desirable. "It's awful to see young people being tortured and brutalised in such a manner as we are seeing at the moment."
Mr Joe Doyle (FG) said he was sure the arms inspections would strengthen the peace process.
The leader of the House, Mr Donie Cassidy, said he sincerely welcomed the announcement that the IRA had opened up a number of arms dumps to the international inspectors, who had confirmed that the weapons and explosives were safely and adequately stored and could not be used without their knowledge.