Mr. Bertie Ahern:

Imagine our Oireachtas trying to introduce legislation that every political party was against. It sounds extraordinary and I never saw it happen. If legislation that every political party is against is foisted on Northern Ireland, it will be unhelpful.

I have stated my position publicly many times. Deputy Flanagan was the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade during the Stormont House Agreement, which was an agreement between the parties, and I was a great supporter of it. It took great effort to achieve that agreement. As with much in recent years, though, everyone agrees until one group says "No, we are not having it" because the group has changed its mind afterwards. We have seen that from Boris Johnson, Secretaries of State and foreign ministers. Everyone agrees and then nothing happens. From the legacy point of view, I am still a supporter of the agreement that Deputy Flanagan achieved at the time.