The most senior PSNI officer in the Derry area has warned that dissident republicans are on a recruitment drive in the city.

Chief Inspector Chris Yates said dissidents are small in number but dangerous and keen to increase their influence.

Chief Inspector Yates says that in Derry dissidents are working in communities, trying to recruit and that it is very worrying.

His comments come as Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy met PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde in Belfast.

Commissioner Murphy and Chief Constable Orde discussed ongoing co-operation against dissident republican groups who killed two British soldiers and a PSNI officer in recent days.

Gardaí and the PSNI routinely share information and Chief Constable Orde regularly meets Commissioner Murphy.

Today’s meeting was planned before the killings in Antrim at the weekend and Craigavon on Monday.

But much of their discussion today centred on that upsurge in activity by dissident republican groups.

Speaking after the meeting Chief Constable Orde said: ‘We appreciate the Garda Commissioner and his colleagues travelling to Belfast to meet with us today. The relationship between both police services is excellent.

‘The Police Service of Northern Ireland, working alongside our colleagues in An Garda Síochána and the security services, is determined to bring those responsible for these despicable murders over the last week to justice.’

Commissioner Murphy said: ‘An attack on any police officer is an attack on the whole of society.

‘Co-operation between both police forces on this island has been growing steadily and surely over recent years. We will continue to work closely with our colleagues in the PSNI.’

Commissioner Murphy will return to Northern Ireland tomorrow morning with Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern for the funeral mass of Constable Stephen Carroll in Banbridge in Co Down.

He was shot dead as he responded to a request for assistance from a member of the public at Lismore Manor in Craigavon on Monday evening.

The bodies of Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar, the two soldiers murdered at Massereene Army barracks in Antrim last Saturday, were flown home to England today.

This afternoon, the Taoiseach met a Sinn Féin delegation led by the party’s President, Gerry Adams, at Government Buildings.

They had a detailed discussion on the latest situation in Northern Ireland.

There was full agreement on the need for everyone to stick together in the face of recent attacks.

They were heartened by the united response to the attacks and determined to press ahead with the development of the democratic political institutions in Northern Ireland, including through the forthcoming devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Executive.

They welcomed the fact that the relevant legislation had been passed at Westminster this week.

Meanwhile, there was a security alert in the Ballykinler area of Co Down.

The road around Ballykinler was closed and police asked motorists to avoid the area.

Justice legislation passes in House of Lords

The Westminster legislation, which paves the way for the power-sharing executive at Stormont to take over the running of policing and justice in Northern Ireland, passed through its final stages in the House of Lords last night and will become law today.

The Northern Ireland Bill is a consequence of the Belfast Agreement of 1998 and the St Andrew’s Agreement in 2006.

The legislation prepares the way for the devolution of the powers as agreed by the DUP and Sinn Féin in November, in a deal which ended five months of deadlock over the issue.

It was agreed that neither party would hold the new justice ministry, which instead would be decided on a cross-community vote of politicians at the assembly.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the four main churches will also meet in Belfast today.