Brendan Smith
Ceist:1. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when all-party talks will recommence on the Haass proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28365/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 2 July 2014
Ceisteanna (1)
Freagraí ó Béal (6 píosaí cainte)
I hope that the all-party talks will resume in Stormont today. As we know, a number of deadlines in regard to a successful conclusion to the Haass talks have been missed. The end of December, St. Patrick's week, Easter and the local and European elections, which are all important dates in the political calendar, have passed and, unfortunately, no progress has been made. As I have said here previously, it is essential that the two Governments take a hands on approach to assist in resolving these contentious issues. Parades, flags and the legacy of the past are all issues that need to be dealt with comprehensively because they have the potential to create constant and consistent trouble within communities and on our streets.
I have already welcomed the resumption on 2 June of the party leaders’ talks in Belfast. The party leaders this week will hold the first of two intensive three day sessions with a view to narrowing the remaining gaps between them and for developing the practical mechanisms and related timeframe for implementation. They will hold a second three day session next week from 8 July to 10 July. The parties have also established a secretariat of Northern Ireland civil servants to support the talks. This is a welcome development.
In my ongoing meetings and contacts with the party leaders and with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, most recently on 24 June, I have stressed the importance of securing an agreement on the outstanding issues. The party leaders have individually acknowledged to me that there is broad agreement on the basic architecture for moving forward on the issues of flags, parades and dealing with the past. I firmly believe that it is in the best interests of Northern Ireland that agreement is reached as soon as possible. It is particularly important now during the marching season and before the summer recess that politics is seen to be working for the benefit of all communities in the North.
During my visit to Washington DC from 17 June to 19 June, I heard genuine concern being expressed by political, business and community leaders on the need for progress in the party leaders' talks. I conveyed this to each of the Northern Ireland party leaders on my return on 20 June.
The Government believes, as I know do all Deputies in this House, that the framework and path for peace that was agreed and democratically endorsed through the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, and in other agreements since, was the right framework and the right path towards a peaceful and reconciled society in Northern Ireland. I believe that an agreement now on these contentious issues would represent further progress along that path.
I thank the Tánaiste for his reply and I record again our appreciation of the work of Ambassador Haass and Dr. O'Sullivan up to the end of December. Will the Tánaiste agree that the Downing Street Declaration of 1993, the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 and the St. Andrews Agreement of 2010 were achieved between the two sovereign Governments and the parties working together but, very importantly, the talks were led and driven by the two sovereign Governments? We know there has been a devolution of powers but the issues under discussion that remain to be resolved predate the devolution of powers. They are also issues that will place responsibility on both Governments to enact measures to deal with the outcomes of those discussions. Will the Tánaiste agree with me and with the comments of the SDLP leader, Alasdair McDonnell, that both Governments need to be in the room to bring these talks to a successful conclusion? We need those talks to be brought to a successful conclusion for the benefit of all of this island.
Both Governments, and certainly the Irish Government, are very close to these talks and I have made it my business and the business of the Irish Government to remain in very close contact with the party leaders and with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in regard to these talks. The talks were established by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on the decision of the Northern Ireland Executive. They were initiated within Northern Ireland by the Northern Ireland parties and formally established by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. The modalities for the talks are, in the first instance, a matter for them to decide. I have made it clear that the Irish Government wants to be involved as closely as possible in this talks process. I have discussed that with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. What is important is that an outcome is achieved from them. I believe that is possible. I believe from what we have seen arising from the Haass discussions last year, which concluded on New Year's Eve, and from the discussions that have taken place since, that the issues which are outstanding are perfectly capable of being bridged. I hope that in these two three day sessions that are now arranged it will be possible to do that.
I note the Tánaiste's comment that the Government wants to be involved as closely as possible. We want to see a conclusion as rapidly as possible. We are into the marching season again. There are conflicting reports from different parts of the North of Ireland in regard to trouble in some places and relative calm in other areas that have seen difficulties in the past. We hope that the next month or more passes by peacefully but there are those festering sores. We need to get these issues off the table and resolved.
I appeal to the Tánaiste to ensure that he brings the influence and persuasion of his office and that of the Government to really be a participant - a participant in inverted commas, if he is not in there in the modus operandi of the talks at present - because I honestly believe, as I have said here on many occasions, that the influence and power of the two sovereign Governments are needed to bring these talks to a successful conclusion. As I said earlier, they are not about issues that have arisen since the devolution of powers. They are about issues that predate the devolution of powers and issues that will place responsibilities on both Governments to enact measures to deal with the past when a successful conclusion is achieved, and I hope that is achieved sooner rather later.
I share that hope. I hope that a successful conclusion is achieved sooner rather than later. As the Deputy will be aware, I was in Belfast for the conclusion of the Haass discussions at the new year. I remain very closely in contact with that. I have remained in contact with Richard Haass and although he is not directly involved, he has maintained an interest and was here last year to receive the Tipperary peace prize. I have been frustrated, and have expressed this, that there has been a kind of a stop-go approach to these talks since the new year. We all understood that not much was going to happen during the election period. I was glad that the talks resumed on 2 June but I must say that I was deeply frustrated that there was no meeting between 2 June and 24 June when the next meeting took place. That is one of the reasons I wrote to each of the party leaders on 20 June expressing my concern that no meeting had been arranged, conveying to them the frustrations that were being conveyed to me when I was in Washington a couple of days earlier. I am glad now that the two three day sessions have been arranged. They start this morning. They will meet today, tomorrow and Friday and will meet again next week for three days. I believe it is possible to bridge the issues that are outstanding.
There are dimensions that must be legislated for in Westminster and probably here. We have a direct and close interest in it.