Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Roberts. Unless anyone else wishes to add anything, we will bring the session to a close. I note in conclusion that the joint committee appreciates Mr. Roberts's attendance. Were there a blueprint for coming up with a solution to many of the problems on this island, it would already have been rolled out. However, to an extent, the blueprint we have is the Good Friday Agreement.

We take Mr. Roberts's point about the Irish reputation. With the instantaneous nature of media and its international access, it is not just television, one can check on YouTube and one can readily view incidents that have taken place over the past month or more. Something that is happening in Belfast, or Pat Doherty's constituency in Castlederg, or in Derry affects the whole island. That is how seriously we take this particular crisis at the moment.

We do not feel, as a committee, that we have the solutions. However, the committee has agreed to provide an opportunity to community, business and political groups on either side of the Border to offer their observations and solutions. We feel strongly that there is a sense of urgency about this, so we need to act proactively. The committee is a North-South implementation body with a diverse membership. We have an appetite not alone to facilitate but also to be with and show our support for the people of Northern Ireland who are affected by these incidents. In acknowledging that trust has been broken to a degree, there are still trust lines that have been built up since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. The committee is confident that things will improve in future, but we are not naive enough to believe that things will work out on their own. There will have to be different interventions including, as Mr. Roberts said, at a political level. People are also working closely at community level and I acknowledge the work of everyone who is doing such work at the interfaces, including religious leaders who have been involved proactively in recent weeks. We wish Mr. Roberts well in his own efforts and campaigns. We are delighted that he came down here today. The committee wishes to demonstrate its support for him and his colleagues.

Over the years, people have said that we cannot be complacent about the peace process. Complacency is back on the agenda but we will certainly not be complacent. We are offering our support and the good offices of this committee as a vehicle or mechanism for other groups to meet with us. We look forward to hearing their suggestions and observations. We will continue to pursue that path in future.