Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In accordance with Standing Order 90, the following message will be sent to the Dáil:

The Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence has completed its consideration of the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict (Hague Convention) Bill 2016 and has made no amendments thereto.

I thank the Minister and his officials for attending the committee. It has been the Minister's first opportunity to address this committee and we are looking forward to having good interactions and working well alongside him. I know that he has a very heavy agenda and workload but I was in County Down at the weekend where I was given a clear message by people I met from both communities that they are very concerned that the institutions are not back up and running in Northern Ireland. I said that I would be speaking to the Minister today - I am not asking him to comment - and I would convey the people's frustration to him and how anxious they are that the two main parties in Stormont, Sinn Féin and the DUP, would make every effort to get the institutions back up and running as quickly as possible. We know the importance of the Good Friday Agreement and the institutions it provides for. I have the privilege of representing an area that has benefited very considerably from the agreement and we would like to see its potential maximised. I said that I would convey that message to the Minister on behalf of people from both traditions I met at the weekend. We look forward to further engagement with the Minister. I am sorry if I have drifted off topic.