Micheál Martin: “We are peacekeepers and that is our unique contribution to the world.”

I am profoundly sorry that two former public representatives from my party so comprehensively failed to defend and protect young children from their nephew and cousin.

It will be of benefit to elected councillors and will give them a greater degree of powers.

I want to apologise to those men, Jason Clancy, Paul Walsh, Kevin Keating, Colin Power, Barry Murphy, Simon O'Toole and Gerard Mullane.

Because of this solidarity, the impact of that decision has been reduced. Thankfully we have avoided many of the worst impacts seen by the UK itself which the British people themselves increasingly recognise.