Enda Kenny
Question:2 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he will report on recent developments in the Northern Ireland peace process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19729/02]
Ceisteanna – Questions. - Northern Ireland Issues.
1.Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach his plans to reconvene the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19728/02]
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:3 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach the contacts he has had with the British Prime Minister since 25 October 2002. [19899/02]
Enda Kenny
Question:4 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent contacts with the political parties in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19936/02]
Enda Kenny
Question:5 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting in Brussels on 24 October 2002 with the British Prime Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19937/02]
Enda Kenny
Question:6 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach when he next expects to meet the British Prime Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19938/02]
Enda Kenny
Question:7 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach when he will convene a meeting of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19939/02]
Trevor Sargent
Question:8 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on bilateral meetings he held with the British Prime Minister on the fringes of the European Council on 24 and 25 October 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20091/02]
Trevor Sargent
Question:9 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach his plans to reconvene the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20254/02]
Pat Rabbitte
Question:10 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Taoiseach the matters discussed and any conclusions reached at his meeting with the British Prime Minister, in the margins of the Brussels summit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20263/02]
Pat Rabbitte
Question:11 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Taoiseach the Government's assessment of the prospects for political progress in Northern Ireland in view of the speech made on 26 October 2002, by the leader of Sinn Féin, and the response given on 27 October 2002, by the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20267/02]
Pat Rabbitte
Question:12 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Taoiseach the discussions he has had with political parties regarding the possible reconvening of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation; the further discussions which are planned; when it is expected that a decision will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20268/02]
Finian McGrath
Question:13 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Taoiseach the extent of his involvement in the peace process; his views on whether Nationalists and Unionists, and sub-groups within those traditions, should seek inclusive solutions based on compromise and which provide a win-win solution for all sides; and if he will make a statement in the matter. [21074/02]
Joe Higgins
Question:14 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent contacts with the parties in Northern Ireland. [21082/02]
Joe Higgins
Question:15 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach when he expects to meet the British Prime Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21083/02]
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:16 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on recent developments in the peace process and the efforts to secure full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. [21344/02]
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:17 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach the agenda and dates for the reconvened Forum for Peace and Reconciliation. [21345/02]
Pat Rabbitte
Question:18 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on his meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. Paul Murphy, in Dublin on 6 November 2002. [21350/02]
Joe Higgins
Question:19 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent contacts with the parties in Northern Ireland. [21352/02]
Joe Higgins
Question:20 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach when he next expects to meet the British Prime Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21353/02]
Joe Higgins
Question:21 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent contacts with the British Prime Minister. [21357/02]
Joe Higgins
Question:22 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on recent developments in the Northern Ireland peace process. [21363/02]
Enda Kenny
Question:23 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he will report on recent developments in the Northern Ireland peace process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22131/02]
Enda Kenny
Question:24 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach when he next expects to meet with the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22132/02]
Enda Kenny
Question:25 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent contacts with the political parties in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22133/02]
Enda Kenny
Question:26 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach when he next expects to meet the British Prime Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22134/02]
Trevor Sargent
Question:27 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on recent meetings with the parties in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22435/02]
Trevor Sargent
Question:28 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with Mr. Paul Murphy, the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22436/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 28, inclusive, together.
The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference met on 22 October under the joint chairmanship of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen and the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Dr. John Reid. The conference reviewed recent political developments.
Both Governments reiterated their commitment to the implementation of the Agreement as the only way forward and the only viable future for the people of Northern Ireland. It is our determined wish to see devolved Government restored as soon as possible and before the scheduled elections.
Under paragraph seven of the review section of the Good Friday Agreement, the process of review falls to the two Governments in consultation with the parties in the Assembly. We have, individually, already had a wide range of contacts with the parties and we believe it is now useful to hold a meeting of all the Assembly parties. The meeting, at which all the pro-Agreement parties will be present, will take place tomorrow and will be chaired jointly by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. Paul Murphy. We see the principal purpose of the meeting as being to enable each party to indicate what it sees as the key issues requiring resolution and advancement if the current difficulties are to be overcome. Following the meeting, and taking into account any areas of agreement identified, in consultation with the parties we will consider how matters should be taken forward.
When I met the Prime Minister Mr. Blair in the margins of the European Council meeting in Brussels, we again emphasised our full commitment to the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. We are continuing to keep in touch, but we have no immediate plans to meet.
In the course of our ongoing contacts with the parties, including Sinn Féin, we will work to ensure that all issues are addressed in a way which will promote confidence and trust and will allow for the restoration of the devolved institutions as soon as possible. I welcomed and was encouraged by many aspects of Gerry Adams' speech of 26 October and David Trimble's positive reaction to it. Gerry Adams' strong statement of determination to keep the peace process intact and of recognition of the need to bring closure to all of the key issues is a positive contribution at this difficult time in the process. I share his view that the process on which we are all embarked must involve irreversible change on all sides.
I also welcome David Trimble's statement that his party wanted loyalist groups to stand down their paramilitary armies and that loyalist leaders would have to face up to questions about the existence of their paramilitary groups. The latest horrific attacks by loyalist paramilitaries underline once again the need for strong action by the police service and strong support by the community for the police.
I take this opportunity to express my appreciation and the appreciation of the Government for the significant contribution of John Reid to the peace process and in advancing the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and to wish him well in his new role. The Government looks forward to working closely with his successor, Paul Murphy, who I met on Wednesday 6 November, as we seek to manage the current difficulties and challenges together.
Concerning the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, there are a number of matters which will require consideration in advance of a meeting, which it is proposed to hold on Wednesday 27 November, and I have written to the parties in this regard. I know there already has been a meeting of party representatives to discuss arrangements for next week's meeting. I thank Ms Justice Catherine McGuinness for her contribution in steering the work of the forum at a very important time in advance of the talks which led to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.
Ms Justice McGuinness is unable to continue as chairperson of the forum because of her position on the Supreme Court. As Senator Maurice Hayes, the chairman of the Forum on Europe, was already a member of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, it seemed appropriate to invite him to assume chairmanship of that forum and I thank the leaders of the participating parties and groups for agreeing to this.
In a recent interview with the editorial board of the Chicago Sun Times, the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, David Trimble, suggested that the existence of this State resulted from anti-Britishness and Catholicism. In a previous interview he referred to the Republic as being monocultural, monoethnic and pathetic, though he seems to have rolled back upon the latter word. Has the Taoiseach spoken to Mr. Trimble about these comments as reported? What are his views on the comments as reported?
I thank the Taoiseach for recalling the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, which I called for here some time ago. Does the Taoiseach believe the IRA will be disbanded? In his conversations with the Sinn Féin leadership, has he pressed the point? As we now approach the concluding difficulties in implementing the Good Friday Agreement – policing, demilitarisation and the abandonment of all paramilitarism – does the Taoiseach personally believe the IRA will be disbanded, that Sinn Féin will take its place on the policing board and that we can move towards real progress in the implementation of the Agreement?
Regarding Mr. Trimble, I have not spoken to him yet on this occasion, no doubt I will get that privilege in due course. It is a fairly single transferable speech that he tends to make at least twice a year, particularly when he is away from this island. This version has not changed much from the last version that I and others strongly expressed to him our views in that regard. I do not think he believes a word of it. Unfortunately my power over him to prevent him saying these things from time to time is zero.
When he is questioned on this he says it is not his view, or if it is, he does not defend any of these points. Like other Members, I wish he did not say these things. I said this to him before and I assure Deputy Kenny that I will say it again, as I am sure other Members will also when they meet him. Whatever about the validity of some of his arguments in the dim and distant past, none of his points stands up to any scrutiny nowadays, and they are not helpful. I feel that when some of the people of a Nationalist outlook in the United States express their views to him it acts as a wind-up. I do not get too upset about these matters.
On the issue of dealing with the IRA, the important thing is that on this island we move away totally and absolutely from paramilitary violence from all sources. The offending issues that continue to cause difficulty are intelligence gathering, military training, direct and indirect procurement or manufacture of arms, punishment beatings and other forms of criminal behaviour, whether North or South. What is important is to try to achieve a discipline that is consistent with ending all of that kind of violent conflict. It is in that I and others are now engaged.
Deputy Kenny asked directly whether I think we will be successful. I would like to be able to give the answer to that, I hope we can. The IRA have been on a ceasefire most of the time for a number of years. There have been some activities – dangerous activities – but they have been sporadic, and all of us have managed to stretch our minds to a position where we can tolerate that, if not like it, providing we can get to a closure on it.
There still are other paramilitary groups which exist to one extent or another and which still create concern. The position on the Real IRA has to be monitored closely following the recent statements by its leadership within Portlaoise prison. I still have a worried but open mind on all of that, perhaps more worried than open. We have to be very careful about that. There is of course no engagement with this group, and that will continue to be an issue.
I am still strongly of the view, as I have been for a long time, that policing is a key issue that will resolve or not resolve so many of the difficulties in Northern Ireland. Like many others here, I could speak all day about the difficulties and the problems but a resolution, however difficult to achieve, is vital if we are to address many of the other difficulties in Northern Ireland and to build trust and confidence, to achieve full participation by Nationalists in the PSNI, to stop the problems at interfaces, to stop the difficulties during the marching season and to stop a lot of other issues of concern.
These are all complex issues but they are important, and I welcome the publication, or at least the listing in Her Majesty's speech to the first session of the British parliament two weeks ago, of new legislation on these matters. I am well aware that this legislation does not deal with everybody's concerns, but I am happy that we have at least brought matters to this stage, and it is a move in the right direction.
Does the Taoiseach recognise that when the people of this State voted for the Good Friday Agreement in May 1998, they voted to amend fundamental articles of the Constitution, and does he recall that the quid pro quo for the amendment of Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution were an all-Ireland ministerial council, all-Ireland implementation bodies and an inclusive executive and assembly? These institutions have been suspended by the British Government. Does the Taoiseach agree that decision is a matter of major concern for people in this State, as it is for people in the Six Counties, and that it has constitutional and political implications here?
With regard to the talks scheduled to commence tomorrow in Belfast, does the Taoiseach agree that these talks are not and must not be a renegotiation of the Good Friday Agreement? Does he agree the focus must be on the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and not on the dismantling of the Agreement, as was the focus of a motion adopted by the Ulster Unionist Council on 21 September last?
We are now into a period of intense talks. The roundtable talks start tomorrow. I hope that people positively set out what they believe are the issues and conditions that are necessary to allow us to move on. We will have the British-Irish Council on Friday with representatives of all the peoples of these Islands but without the Unionist community, which is a little ironic. Before someone asks why I attend that council, I wish to point out that I call constantly for everyone concerned to implement all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement. Even if the Unionists do not turn up to the British-Irish Council, I feel duty bound to turn up. It would be hypocritical for me to call for full implementation of the Agreement and then not to implement that aspect. It is strange that we will all be there but that the Unionists will not be. That is the reason I feel I should be there.
Talks at official level are talking place today and will continue next week, and then we will have the forum. We will then see where we can move in respect of the roundtable talks. All of that is on the basis of the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. It is not a renegotiation of it. I agree with Deputy Ó Caoláin on that point, but he must also agree with me that we must try to create a position where there is faith, confidence and hope, that we must all work together and that inclusiveness of the institutions means we are working to make sure there is a better time for the people in Northern Ireland and people elsewhere on this island. That is the important aspect. I try not to be prescriptive about any of these issues because it does not get me anywhere. Everybody must share in trying to find a resolution of these issues. It is a pity the institutions fell, but there were reasons for that. In putting them back, we must try to resolve those issues for good and we all have a part to play in that.
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. I also wish to thank Ms Justice McGuinness for her work. We in the Green Party look forward very much to the forum meeting next Wednesday at which there will be representatives from both jurisdictions, North and South of the Border.
In relation to the inclusivity of the Assembly, in regard to the four year review of the Agreement – paragraph 8 in respect of validation and implementation refers – is the Taoiseach open to examining the current requirement for a process of designation? Given the difficulties that caused, and perhaps the further difficulties it generated in terms of mistrust and division, is he amenable to considering a more multi-option approach in the workings of the Assembly, which would still enjoy the requisite degree of cross-community support, and in relation to that review to being open to the ideas that might come forward in that regard?
I wish to ask the Taoiseach about the degree of accountability and transparency in the institutions. I note from a report that the de Chastelain commission has cost £6.3 million sterling to date. Does the Taoiseach know the reasons for that cost, given that we do not have full decommissioning? It is important that we keep an eye on the kinds of costs that are being run up and that we let the people know exactly what is being done and spent in their name.
The review of the Agreement is an issue down the road. At this stage our aim is to put the institutions back in place. While nobody would disagree with this goal, when we look at aspects that are required in the review next year, I hope there will be no difficulty about those issues – I think it will be possible to get understandings on them. One particular party, which is partially involved, may already be on record as to how they want that monitored. I would be happy to negotiate any of those aspects.
In the meantime, the big issue, as we try to put the institutions back in place, is confidence. I readily admit there are problems of confidence on both sides. We have finished a fairly extensive round of discussions with everybody, the British Government and all the parties. We met some of the parties a number of times. I had long meetings with the Secretary of State. There were meetings between the Irish officials, British officials and the leaderships of the groups. There were large delegations. The two Governments have made it clear that paramilitaries must become a thing of the past. We need a clear break from the past if confidence and trust are to be restored for the future. The intensity of activity of loyalist paramilitaries is a complicating factor. There are the outstanding issues of demilitarisation, the human rights agenda and policing. They are all fairly clear items, but the real ingredient missing is trust and confidence. That is not something that one can put down on a sheet of paper and instil. We can put many words and formulations around it.
I have no difficulty about inclusivity – the more of it the better. I wish the process was more inclusive. I wish the DUP would attend and that when the institutions were up and running that it would have worked and interacted with the SDLP, the UUP and Sinn Féin. All that would have been very helpful. I think it is feasible. I do not think it is a pipe dream any more, although maybe it was a few years ago. We just have to work hard on that.
What worries me most is that, as in the case of any project in which one is involved, one must be able to carry with one the people who will make it work. In this case, they are the people on the ground who live in Northern Ireland. They have to see that they can work these institutions, respect them and take direction from them. At present, that does not exist, but between now and Christmas we have a chance of at least getting a better understanding of the issues. Tomorrow will be a useful mechanism for people to reflect their concerns.
What about the cost of the de Chastelain commission?
I do not have the breakdown of that cost. It seems large.
He must be buying the guns.
I hope not. There are a good few individuals involved in it. They have joint offices, but that figure seems fairly large. They do not work on a full-time basis.
Will the Taoiseach ask about that?
I will try to find out about it because it seems rather large. These debates in the Dáil are closely scrutinised outside this House. I appreciate the work that General John de Chastelain and his comrades have put in.
The Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, has no say in that matter.
We need orderly questions. A number of Members have questions to raise. I call Deputy Rabbitte.
Will the Taoiseach speak about the role he envisages for the forum? Does he foresee it meeting on a regular basis? Does he agree that while the forum can do some useful work that it is no substitute for the inter-party talks that are necessary in Northern Ireland in order to make progress? What is his assessment of the likely timeframe for the talks that are due to get under way in Northern Ireland? Is he satisfied with the proposed structure of the talks at this stage?
I agree with Deputy Rabbitte. I was reluctant for a long time to call a meeting of the forum on previous occasions when we had difficulties or on this occasion. The parties in Northern Ireland and here have said it could be useful to have a session. We should not return to weekly sessions since we would not have the business nor would it be a useful exercise. A meeting at this stage could be productive, and maybe we could consider it again after Christmas. It would be beneficial for people to be able to express how they wish things to move forward. The British Prime Minister and I have set out the position as we see it while regretting that the institutions have again collapsed. Neither of us wanted to see that happen. We have indicated that some years on, we want to see movement towards an end to paramilitarism and all that entails. We want to see a specific programme of confidence building with the two Governments playing a role in that, but particularly the parties involved.
I refer to the timeframe for the talks. Needless to say, we are trying to ensure as much engagement and as much action as possible and to crystallise the issues and not have endless debate. The British Government has separately had bilaterals with all the parties as we have had – in some cases several. I hope the issues will be crystallised tomorrow. I do not see agreement tomorrow; that is not the purpose. At least if we can get them around the table, we can see how we can move on. What comes out of tomorrow and the reflections of the Oireachtas next week will be useful and will be keenly noted by all the parties in the North. Because they have been away from their institutions, they look forward to that opportunity next week. The idea of a one off meeting next week is important to them. I would like to think we could make substantial progress before next Christmas, but we will see. It will be difficult but we should keep trying as we have one month.
Maybe events will prove me wrong but it is my view that if there had not been a breakdown of the institutions before the UUP September conference which kind of indicated that it would make some move in January, a move which I did not welcome, the institutions would have ceased around St. Patrick's Day – 20 March was the date pencilled in in order to have the elections at the beginning of May. That coincides with the start of the marching season – late March into the Easter period which is late next year. At that point almost every year, we cease to make progress. There must be elections next year and the British Government is of the same view. I know not all the parties are of the same view as the two Governments. If we are to deal with this, the end of February is the latest date. If that does not happen, we will face grave difficulty. People say I am wrong and that one can make progress during the summer but I never find that anything productive happens. I wish it was otherwise but issues are dragged backwards from March to September. I urge those following the debate not to make that mistake. It would be a grave mistake for us not to try to break the back of this issue prior to Christmas and to resolve it, if possible. Anyone who believes we can go beyond the end of February is making a grave mistake.
For elections?
No, to complete negotiations.
On my question on the peace process, I welcome the bringing together of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation as it is essential—
Deputy McGrath, a question please. A number of Members have submitted questions and it is important to—
I welcome that and point out that I was one of the people who made contributions to the forum before I was elected to this House. It was a valuable forum to reflect different views.
I appreciate that, Deputy, but ask a question to elicit information from the Taoiseach.
Will the Taoiseach ensure there is movement on the peace process and that we get out of this mess? Will he show strong leadership on this issue and do all in his power to represent the Irish view as I believe that recently, there has been some slippage? I urge the Taoiseach to do something for the residents of the Short Strand – the 2,000 of them who face a nightmare scenario each night with vicious sectarian attacks. I met a group of the residents in recent days. I urge the Taoiseach to speak out, to highlight this issue and to point out that it is a complete breach of the Good Friday Agreement.
The Government continues to meet residents of the Short Strand. During the worst of their difficulties throughout the summer, our officials communicated with them and they continue to assist in every way they can. I am sympathetic to the difficulties. Ultimately, proper policing and trust and confidence in it will be the final resolution to that. In the meantime, we will continue to highlight their difficulties and to assist them in whatever way we can.
I welcome what Deputy McGrath said about the forum. I assure him we will do all we can to try to ensure there is stability and confidence and we will continue to deal with that over the coming weeks.
Does the Taoiseach agree we need to take a more radical look at the real processes in Northern Ireland? Does he agree the institutionalisation of sectarian division, which is provided for explicitly in the structures of the Good Friday Agreement, has utterly failed to take society in Northern Ireland forward? Does he agree the peace process has seen increased polarisation and division between communities – a war over territory, in many cases?
Does the Taoiseach agree that his Government, the British Government and the parties in Northern Ireland, which base themselves on one side or other of the sectarian divide, have no solution and that under them, politics is stagnating and festering? Does he agree that his Government, which is involved in a vicious programme of cuts here, will have no moral authority with working class people in the North? Not being able to resolve problems here, they will question where this Government can resolve problems there. Does he agree that a new political force, which could bridge the divisions in working class communities by addressing the real and critical issues they face, is what is required to provide radical and real solutions? Will the Taoiseach clarify what he said in answer to a supplementary question when he referred to paramilitary activities, called them "bad" and said "we can stretch our minds to tolerate that" before moving on to something else? Would he like to rephrase that? Does he agree paramilitary activities are reactionary in every sense, that their activities contribute to sectarian division and polarisation and that the biggest favour they can do working class communities is to disband and disappear?
I do not agree that a new radical political solution over the heads of all the parties on all sides in Northern Ireland will bring a great Messiah and Utopia for all.
For the grassroots.
If we could keep away from that type of thing and keep people focused on the political parties which are there, then they would not drift into paramilitary activities because that is what tends to happen. People follow some warlord or other and there is more sectarian activity. Keeping people focused on the main political movements would be far better in these areas. I do not agree with the Deputy in this regard.
We all have to work hard. Within the parties in Northern Ireland, and in spite of all the difficulties and tensions, enormous efforts are being made to work across the divides. It is a pity those divides are there. There is polarisation and sectarian activity which forces people from one community to another. We all reject that kind of activity. We have to keep on working to break down the barriers to trust and confidence. That is precisely what I said to Deputies Kenny and Rabbitte about trying to deal with these issues. Even this summer we have seen people being driven out of their homes because they are Catholic or Protestant. People on both sides have been petrol-bombed. These are things we have to continue to work against and I do not think any new force will change that.
What I said with regard to paramilitary activity is that it is five and a half years since the ceasefires of the IRA and other groups were called. There has been paramilitary activity between then and now, which is regrettable. I said we had stretched our minds in order to tolerate that, so as not to throw away the whole process, but to keep on working to try and resolve it. If we were to jump every time there was an issue we would never have got to where we are now. We do not like what is happening but, as has been said by me, Tony Blair and many of the party leaders both here and in Northern Ireland, we have had enough of that and what we now need to do is see the end of that particular period of paramilitary activity forever. That is what we are trying to do.
I am glad the Taoiseach has rebuked Mr. Trimble for his remarks about the Republic and for his comments as reported. It is important that we should not be afraid to set out our stall in respect of our own part of this island.
I previously raised the matter of the Barron inquiry with the Taoiseach, arising from the instruction given by the British Ministry of Defence that members who were working in 1974 should not give information to the inquiry on the bombings in Dublin and Monaghan. The Taoiseach undertook to raise the matter with Prime Minister Blair in Brussels. Did he do so, has there been a response and is he now happy that the British authorities are co-operating satisfactorily with the Barron inquiry?
Will the Taoiseach give an update on the investigations into alleged espionage by elements of the republican movement? Is he concerned that prison officers in the North intend to take mass leave on an organised basis because they fear that their personal details may have fallen into the wrong hands?
I raised the issue of the Barron inquiry with Paul Murphy and he assured me that they have done an enormous trawl of their records and additional papers have come to light. I do not know what they contain but I think they are some of the ones sought by Mr. Justice Barron. They continue to do their utmost to comply with the wishes of Mr. Justice Barron. Paul Murphy assured me personally that he will do all he can in regard to the inquiry, just as his predecessor as Secretary of State, John Reid, had been doing. There are issues which are still being addressed.
There is not much news to report on the inquiry. The Deputy is aware that there is ongoing litigation in some of the cases and that one of the individuals being held was released as no case was found against him. Concerns have been expressed as to why he was questioned in the first place which is another serious matter. Those investigations are continuing and I am aware that there are concerns about the details and in regard to correspondence. More will come to light on that issue but it is better to say no more about it pending the outcome of the cases.
What is the Taoiseach's assessment of Mr. Adams's speech at Monaghan where he said that he can foresee the day when the IRA will disband? Does the Taoiseach attach any hopeful connotations to that? How does he assess it, in terms of the IRA statement of a few days later about a withdrawal of co-operation with the de Chastelain commission?
Mr. Adams says that the IRA will not disband at the behest of the Unionists or of the British. Does the Taoiseach agree that it is, in fact, the overwhelming majority of Irish people that has expressed that request?
Has the Taoiseach had an opportunity to consider the draft motion that I circularised to him and other party leaders? Does he believe that a motion something along these lines calling for the disbandment of all paramilitary organisations, including all sections of the IRA, could be helpful at this juncture? Does the Taoiseach not agree that it would be a powerful political and moral authority to press on the republican movement the necessity of disbandment or decommissioning?
As I said in my reply, I took encouragement from the statement by the President of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams. I do not know to what extent the IRA can come to an end of its activities. What I see as the most important features are those aspects of paramilitary activities such as the procurement of arms, training, targeting and criminal activity north or south of the Border. They are the key issues and what happens at the end of the day will be a matter for the organisations themselves. The offending aspects that continue to create the problems and difficulties are the ones on which we should try to keep our focus. We will certainly do that as we move forward.
I hope to be in a position to reply to the Deputy in a few days in regard to the motion. I agree with the sentiments expressed in it, with some additions, because if we are to pass a motion of the House with which everybody will agree then we must include all elements of the progress achieved to date. I expect to pass an amended version to Deputy Rabbitte in the next few days for his consideration and, hopefully, his support.
I appreciate that time is not on our side so I will be brief. Following on the earlier question in regard to the ongoing reality of the lives of the people on the Short Strand, has the Taoiseach any plans during a future trip to the North of Ireland to visit the interface communities, specifically the community in the Short Strand, which would undoubtedly draw significant succour from the interest that his presence would demonstrate? It is an important matter for the Taoiseach to con sider and I strongly urge him to do so. I look forward to a positive reply.
That is a matter I would consider. As the Deputy knows, I have done it before. It is always necessary to balance these occasions across the communities but I do not have a difficulty in that.
Is the Taoiseach aware of any specific proposals which he or the British Government intend to table at the discussions on Thursday which might bring about an early restoration of the Assembly?
I agree with previous comments that the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation is a valuable entity to prevent a political vacuum opening up but it is necessary that we now concentrate on new proposals to bring about a restoration of the Assembly as soon as possible.
I do not expect any proposals. The British Government's position centres on the speech made several weeks ago by Prime Minister Blair where he put down what he is prepared to do, providing other things happen. We must wait and see how close we come to that. We have made our contribution as well.
Tomorrow's meeting will be co-chaired by both Governments in the persons of Secretary of State, Murphy, and Deputy Cowen. Hopefully, we will at least produce a working document to continue the search for progress, if not a conclusion.