Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I must speak in the Dáil shortly and will ask Senator Blaney to take the Chair. Before I do, I thank Mr. Durkan for sharing his considerable professional knowledge and for the openness of his ideas. "Radical" might not be the right word to use, but what he is discussing are tangible steps that do not threaten anyone and that allow for communication, growth and an understanding and appreciation of what everyone on all sides is thinking. If it is appropriate of me to say, I would welcome Mr. Durkan putting some of his tangible and constructive ideas down on paper for us, if he has not already done so. I would be more than happy for our committee to use them to articulate that voice. An issue for us is that this committee always hears the nationalist voice but never hears the unionist voice because unionists will not participate. That presents a difficulty. If we can take practical steps such as those that Mr. Durkan mentioned and point out new ways of communicating without threatening unionists' Britishness, it will be key, as will recognising that they have the same right as we do - I am a nationalist - to hold the opposite view. We must engage. I could say that it is like the tyres are flat on the Good Friday Agreement, but it has actually run out of breath and the race is over at this stage. Everyone is losing out. There are no North-South bodies, our east-west relations have never been worse and there is no Government in the North. We are at a bad place. I would welcome anything that could change that in a constructive way, such as the ideas that Mr. Durkan has proposed.

I apologise, but I must go to speak on the budget. I ask Senator Blaney to take over.