I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 17, inclusive, together.
I dealt comprehensively in the House recently with all the issues arising from my interview with the Sunday Times several weeks ago. I do not intend to run over the same ground again.
I will depart for San José in the United States on 11 March where I will commence my programme of engagements for the St. Patrick's Day period. While in San José I will meet representatives of companies which have significant operations here. I will attend an IDA Ireland lunch and the launch by Enterprise Ireland of its new Silicon Valley network as well as the Spirit of Ireland awards dinner.
On 14 March I will attend the St. Patrick's Day parade in San Francisco which will be followed by a lunch at the United Irish Cultural Centre. Before departing for Washington I will deliver an address at the Commonwealth Club of California. While in Washington I anticipate meeting senior figures in the US Administration. I will have a meeting with Senator Kennedy and The Friends of Ireland in the House of Representatives. On the evening of Tuesday, 16 March, after attending the official opening of Doyle's Hotel on New Hampshire Avenue, I will attend the American Ireland Fund dinner.
On St. Patrick's Day, in accordance with tradition and established practice, I will meet President Clinton at the White House and subsequently attend a dinner hosted by Speaker Hastert on Capitol Hill. I will participate in a number of receptions, including the White House reception. I will also participate in various media events. On Thursday, 18 March, I will chair a meeting of the Ireland-America Economic Advisory Board after which I will return to Dublin.
There are no plans in the programme for a formal meeting with Senator Mitchell, but it is possible that if he is in Washington I shall have the pleasure of meeting him. He put so much time and effort into bringing about a peaceful accommodation on the island. We all owe him so much.
We are all extremely grateful for the engagement and support of the United States Administration throughout the process, including the key role played by Senator Mitchell as talks chairman. President Clinton has made it clear that he remains available to help in any way he can as opportunities arise. We are grateful for that assurance and shall be alert to every opening for his constructive involvement, not least in coming weeks. In the meantime it is vital that the two Governments and all the parties to the Agreement continue to work intensively to get over current difficulties. If we all put our hearts and minds to it, we can make the necessary progress in the period immediately ahead.
I met Prime Minister Blair in Bonn on Friday, 26 February. I am reporting in a reply to a subsequent parliamentary question on the European and international issues on which we focused. On Northern Ireland, the Prime Minister and I discussed progress in implementing the Good Friday Agreement in all its aspects, including the establishment of the North-South implementation bodies and the finalisation of legislation to establish them. Following an intensive programme of work we have now concluded the necessary four treaties. We are now in a position to proceed with the necessary legislation. In this regard the British-Irish Agreement Bill, 1999, which provides for implementation bodies covering inland waterways, food safety, trade and business developments, special EU programmes, language, aquaculture and marine matters, comes before the House today.
The Prime Minister and I also reflected on useful progress which has been made over the past few months working with General de Chastelain and progressing the resolution of the decommissioning issue through the decommissioning body chaired by him, as set out in the Good Friday Agreement. We also reviewed the Drumcree issue.
Last Thursday I met with the First Minister designate, David Trimble, at Government Buildings. We had a very useful meeting at which we settled a number of significant political aspects with regard to the supplementary international agreement to set up the North-South implementation bodies. Following further intensive work up to Sunday, full agreement was reached and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland signed the requisite four treaties in Dublin yesterday. These treaties provide for the North-South implementation bodies, the North-South Ministerial Council, the British-Irish Council and the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference.
This latest achievement marks another significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to progress the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement in all its aspects. I pay tribute to all involved in this. The work will, of course, continue and with the commitment of all concerned I hope we will be in a position to report further progress soon. I had a further conversation with the British Prime Minister yesterday as well as a substantive, useful meeting with Mr. Gerry Adams. We will continue with our efforts in co-operation with the relevant parties until we succeed in securing a resolution to the current difficulties surrounding the formation of the Executive.