Dáil votes to maintain Special Criminal Court and gangland jurisdiction

TDs have voted to maintain the Special Criminal Court and its jurisdiction over some serious organised crime offences for a further 12 months.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan told the Dáil that the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 was introduced as a “robust response” to Real IRA following the Omagh bombing.

Mr Flanagan said: “The Act was focused on the Northern Ireland-related terrorist threat. Regrettably, there remains to this day a real and persistent security threat from those same paramilitary groups which have set their faces against peace on this island.”

He also said the Offences Against the State Acts “could have application to the international terrorist threat we have witnessed recently in shocking attacks in London, Paris and Manchester”.

Mr Flanagan also urged a 12-month extension of section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009, which gives the Special Criminal Court jurisdiction over some serious organised crime offences.

Defending the law from criticism, he said the fact the law had never been used “does not invalidate the reasoning for having the provision in place and available for use whenever it is deemed appropriate”.

TDs voted to retain the Special Criminal Court by 75-29 and to maintain its jurisdiction over some serious organised crime offences by 72-28.