Mr. Mickey Brady:

Excuse my voice. I am currently isolating. I am far enough away not to contaminate anybody, at least physically. I thank the witnesses for their presentations. My first question has been answered to a certain extent. I was going to ask about the DUP being notable by its absence. The question was answered to a point in that it was said it is possible that had the DUP been present, the agreement might not have been signed. Was that a real possibility? It is ironic now that the DUP, including Mr. Jeffrey Donaldson, who is now its leader and who actually walked out of the talks, as has been said, is now quoting the Good Friday Agreement, saying it is under such pressure from the protocol and outlining how his party would hate to see it being badly affected. These are the people who did not participate or, indeed, sign up to the Good Friday Agreement. Do the witnesses believe the agreement would not have been signed had the DUP remained? It obviously walked out because republicans came back in. Was that the greatest possibility at the time?

On an agreement on a border poll and referendum, the criterion of 50% plus 1% is, as far as I am aware, democracy. It has been under a lot of pressure in various areas and from parties over the past while. We have tried several times to get various Secretaries of State to outline the criteria they might use to initiate a border poll. However, so far all parties, including the Labour Party with its shadow Under-Secretaries of State, etc., have refused to answer the question. At the time of the agreement, it seemed that the 50% plus 1% criterion and the fact that a British Secretary of State would be the one to trigger a border poll were accepted generally. I wonder was that the case. Was there much disagreement? Was there much argument about it?

The Chairman has mentioned parties who sacrificed so much and lost out. Having said that, republicans also took big risks to participate and, indeed, were a big part of the agreement and the contingent peace process. With respect, it does not seem to have done our party that much harm as it is now the biggest party on the island of Ireland. We are now waiting for a First Minister of Sinn Féin to take part in the Assembly when it does get up and running. Obviously, all parties took risks. Possibly some took more than others, but ultimately it is the public, the people, who have decided.