Speaking to reporters in County Tipperary, Kelly said any incident such as this one was concerning.
“However, we certainly know that there are a small minority of dissident republicans who did not agree with the Good Friday Agreement, they did not put weapons and explosives [out of use], they didn’t, you know, go through with the proper process in relation to decommissioning,” he said.
“So that is something that we continue to deal with.
“There’s a small minority of these individuals, I would describe them as radicalised republicans, and this is a threat that we’re going to continue to face for some time.”
Kelly said that the bomb was “not just components or pieces,” but was “extremely significant”.
“This was an explosive device and it would have or could have potentially caused significant damage,” he said.
“This is an intelligence-led operation, so we certainly do have information in relation to the individuals involved.”
Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill posted on X that the bomb served “only a wreckers’ agenda”.
“Those responsible have no support and no vision for our island and our communities,” she wrote.
Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson said the incident “raises serious questions” about how the Irish government was “assessing the threat posed by dissident republican terrorism and whether the response is keeping pace with the danger”.
Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister Naomi Long, from Alliance, “unequivocally” condemned those responsible for the bomb and said there could be no justification for actions designed to endanger lives.
Ulster Unionist Party deputy leader Diana Armstrong said her party “wishes to place on record its sincere thanks and gratitude to An Garda SÃochána for their professionalism and swift action in intercepting this vehicle”.
“This latest incident is a further reminder of the continued threat posed by dissident republican terrorism,” she added.
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) MP Colum Eastwood said the incident would “bring back dark memories of our past for many”.
“The SDLP has always been clear that violence of this nature is futile and achieves nothing except harming communities and tearing families apart,” he said.
Fine Gael’s David Maxwell, who represents the Cavan-Monaghan constituency, thanked gardaà for stopping the bomb from travelling across the border and the Irish Defence Forces for their “brave work in making the device safe”.
“It is disappointing that as we approach the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement that we have a small group of people who want to bring destruction and death back to this island with no mandate and no support,” Maxwell said.
