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

I welcome our guests and thank them for appearing before us. We have traversed this subject many times. Unfortunately, I fear that we will continue doing so. I have always held the view that as long as any discussion or negotiation is suspended, there can be no progress. Everyone resiles to his or her respective position, past ills are reintroduced and there are reprisals and counter-reprisals. The UN and, in particular, the US and the EU, both of which have influence in the area, should apply all possible pressure on the various parties to bring about an ongoing discussion whereby grievances could be aired and presented to an independent arbitration body of some standing. This small initiative would at least begin a process. It may well be a process about a process or a discussion about a process, but at least something would be happening. A political vacuum will cause the fermentation of the ills that have beset the area for generations.

I do not want to go on because we have all spoken about this issue many times. We must congratulate those who, like our visitors, have made a positive contribution down the years and continue to do so. Not everyone does the same thing at the same time, although that would be a help.