Everybody has the responsibility to fight the threat of lethal modern terrorism, Australian Prime Minister John Howard tonight told the Dail.
Recalling the 2002 Bali bombings in which 88 Australians died, the Liberal Party leader said nobody was safe from political violence. Mr Howard, who's 20-minute address was boycotted by several TDs, received a warm welcome from dozens of Oireachtas members in the Dail chamber.
He told them: "In the fight against terrorism, Ireland and Australia are united. None of us can regard ourselves as being immune from terrorism. Irish citizens died in the World Trade Centre."
Mr Howard remembered the 88 young Australians who were killed in the Bali bombings in October 2002. He added: "They were doing nothing more than celebrating the joy of being together in a holiday place that was familiar and friendly and welcoming and beckoning.
"That is the indiscriminate, lethal cruel nature of modern terrorism and we all have a responsibility to meet it and we all have the responsibility to fight it."
He said it was important that moderate Islamic leaders assumed a leadership role in steering their people away from fundamentalism. He singled out the example of Indonesia which had transformed itself from a dictatorship to the third largest democracy in the world.
He also saluted the bravery and courage of the formation of an all-party government in Iraq in the face of physical intimidation. In his address, he paid said Australia was indebted to Ireland for the contribution it made in shaping it as a nation.
He paid tribute to the Catholic Church for providing a self-funded education system in Australia up to the 1960s.
He acknowledged the decision of the Government to honour the 1916 Easter Rising. He said he hoped there would be long term political solutions to the sectarianism and terrorism in Northern Ireland.
Applauding the success of the Irish economy, he noted the innovative policies, hard work and determination which had made it the best performing in the EU. He also detailed the economic growth of the Australian economy.
Introducing Mr Howard, Ceann Comhairle Rory O'Hanlon said it was the third time an Australian PM had addressed the Dail. He noted the close historical and cultural links between the countries. Over 150,000 Australians come to Ireland every year.
He joked that many of the 60,000 annual Irish backpackers who travel Down Under now do so voluntarily, in contrast with the thousands of Irishmen deported for political and criminal offences in the 1800s.
Security was tight as a small number of anti-war protestors greeted Mr Howard as his 10-vehicle cavalcade swept into Leinster House at 5pm.
The Peace and Neutrality Alliance demo was supported by Sinn Fein TDs. Mr Howard then held brief meetings with Opposition leaders Enda Kenny and Pat Rabbitte.
PA