Senator George Mitchell:

I did not envisage the specific issues raised by Senator Ó Donnghaile but, as I said in my opening remarks, I did envisage there would be challenges ahead. For one thing, the agreement did not deal with several of the major issues confronting Northern Ireland. There was no decision on policing and the justice system, which were very important and controversial issues. We in effect created commissions to deal with them in the future, so it was obvious to everyone that the agreement was a political compromise. It was imperfect but it was the best that could be achieved at that time. It did achieve the overriding objective of bringing the violence that accompanied the Troubles to an end, but it did not solve all of the problems that led to the Troubles. It was apparent to all of the participants that there would be challenges ahead and, of course, that turned out to be true.

As I mentioned earlier, in 1999, barely a year after the agreement was reached in Northern Ireland, the Assembly collapsed. We put it back together again by the end of the year but then it encountered further difficulties. There followed a series of discussions and negotiations culminating in the St. Andrews talks. I was not present then - I had nothing to do with it - but I have read about it. It did restore the First Minister and deputy First Minister and sought to resolve the issue of policing, which was a very important issue that was critical to the society and an emotional issue on all sides. I do not think I was the only one. I think everybody involved in the talks recognised that, while the agreement was a great accomplishment, it did not in itself and by itself resolve permanently the difficult issues confronting the people of Northern Ireland, which continue to this day.

I want to say one thing to the committee that I have said several times in Northern Ireland - I think the indication was that Senator or one of his members is from Northern Ireland - I love the people of Northern Ireland and I like the place.

The people are energetic and very friendly to those of us from the outside. They are warm and engaging but if they have a fault, it is that they are too self-critical. Self-criticism is a good thing but it is a great evil in Northern Ireland that is unwarranted. I recall the last time I went there was several years ago, in about 2016 or 2017. I was met by reporters who asked me whether this was terrible what was happening in Northern Ireland what with all of this agreement and unpleasantness. I said I just flew from the US to London and from London to here. I said that given what was going on in the United States and the disagreements we had and given what was going on in the UK - Brexit had just occurred - I did not think any American was in a position to lecture anyone else on internal disagreement. I try to emphasise the positive in dealing with people in and from Northern Ireland and to try to move them away from the negatives that have accumulated over time.

Even if this were magically solved in the coming 60 days and were the Executive to be restored, no one should think that is a perfect, permanent solution. It would meet the current challenges. Life has changed for each individual human being, society, government and nation. It is a truism that in human affairs, the solution to every problem contains within itself the seeds of a new problem. The challenge for the political leaders in Northern Ireland is to figure out a practical, workable way to get this process back on track, get the Assembly functioning and the First Minister and deputy First Minister in place and deal with the practical day-to-day problems that the people of Northern Ireland have. They should not worry about creating something that will last for all time and forever. It will not happen. It will be challenged again the following year. It is more an attitude than a particular issue.