Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Ahern is most welcome. We are delighted to have him before us as part of the work the committee is doing. Senator Currie and I were adamant that we get stuck into this piece of work during our programme year. From my perspective, I have a strong sense that if we do not learn the lessons of the past, particularly around the Good Friday Agreement and the working up towards that agreement, and get an understanding of how hard that was to achieve and learn from the complexities involved, it will be very hard to get agreements in the future. This is a very interesting piece of work that will result in us putting together a great report. Some of Mr. Ahern's former colleagues who were involved across the different parties have given some great contributions.

I am coming from that perspective of going back 25 years ago and all the effort Mr. Ahern put into Northern Ireland and building relations. I ask him to give us a picture first and foremost of why he saw the need to do this. What was his drive? Did he believe it was just a moment in time where he could see an opportunity to make something happen? What was the thinking? I sat in a church with Mr. Ahern a couple of months ago at David Trimble's funeral. I will never forget that day because during his eulogy the clergyman talked about one politician, David Trimble, who was held in high esteem by Mr. Ahern. That gave me a certain insight into Mr. Ahern and the relationships he built over the years. It is very important for us as a committee to learn why it is so important to build those relationships. In Mr. Ahern's view, why did he put so much time into building relationships with individuals like David Trimble and other politicians, not just on the unionist side but on the nationalist side as well? Why did he feel the need to invest time in particular relationships? What rewards did it reap for him?

I was in Belfast last Wednesday night at the launch of Tommie Gorman's book, which was launched by Michelle O'Neill and Arlene Foster. Mr. Gorman is an individual like Mr. Ahern who has built relationships. It is unusual to see the high regard in which a journalist is held by politicians on both sides of the divide in the North.

People like Mr. Ahern have so much insight into those relationships. He referred to relationships a lot. Relationships are key because it is by developing them that we can find a way forward and start resolving issues.