Mary Moran (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Dallat, MLA, Ms Kelly, MLA, and Ms McNeill for everything today. This has been a very good discussion. Like everyone else, I fully support the establishment of the civic forum. As Deputy Wall noted, it is part of the Good Friday Agreement. From visiting places I have found the most beneficial aspect to be engaging with the different community and religious groups of all the different sides.

It is striking how much we are suffering. It is to the detriment of this committee meeting today that there are no Unionists present and that is a major shame. The evidence exists that people want to engage and it has certainly been our experience that people want to engage. People want the opportunity. The matter of the costing, sadly, seems to be an excuse. Rather then go on - I realise we could discuss this all day - the question is how best to move on from here. Many of us on the committee are also on the North-South Inter-Parliamentary Association. Is there something that we can do through that body to move the position on or through the various other groups? Certainly, we will all be going back to our party leaders today urging for full support, which I know we have. Rather than keep talking, it is a question of what constructive actions we can use now.