Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is one of the most important parts of our foreign relations and national programmes. I strongly support pursuing all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement vigorously, ensuring we maintain a hands-on approach, establishing new contacts, as well as embellishing existing contacts, and that we continue the targets set out. To break down sectarianism, suspicion, hatred and tradition is a mammoth task. It takes a significant amount in financial and physical commitment. I hope this will continue and be accelerated for the simple reason that we get only one shot at these matters. We asked the people, both North and South, to support the Agreement through a referendum which they did. If we fail as a society to respond adequately to these issues that present themselves, regardless of their origin, then we will have failed. In future, consideration should be given to responding to an even greater extent than we have done so far and adopting a more hands-on approach. We must ensure that at ground level, where reconciliation is hugely important, that the communities which find themselves in disparate - sometimes even desperate - positions recognise help is at hand.

The goals of the International Fund for Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement need to be reviewed. In the aftermath of Haass, there is a need for a review of the objectives of the peace process, the emerging challenges and the extent to which the Irish and British Governments can get involved without off-siding the communities in Northern Ireland. It is important for us to realise that this problem will not go away unless we assist the process already in place. That means we must evolve the process and stick with it. If we do not do that, we will be criticised for it in the future.