Mr. Conor Murphy:

There is an appetite, as evidenced in the submissions to the Haass talks, for civic society to make a contribution. There are other vehicles for that, but the Good Friday Agreement envisaged a formal role linked to the working of the Assembly and, through the consultative forum, the all-Ireland arrangements. It is necessary to bring the civic forum back and the consultative forum into existence for the first time.

This is the nub of the problem. Unionism has been hostile to these bodies, including the North-South bodies even though it continues to operate them, for example, the North-South Ministerial Council. Unionists have used their positions in the Executive to stifle any development, discussion or production of a report in respect of these bodies. Pressure needs to be applied by political representatives, the two Governments, which are the guarantors of the international agreement between them, and civic society North and South to the effect that we want a forum, a space to have a formal input rather than just an informal input that is requested by various bodies as situations arise. We want a formal arrangement under which we can develop ideas and make a contribution to politics in the North and the development of its society. This problem needs to be shifted.