Mr. John Bruton:

I have said a lot about reconciliation in this session but I cannot put flesh on the bones of it. Responsibility has to be taken by the people in Northern Ireland themselves. If unionists want the union to work, they must make Northern Ireland work. If nationalists want to persuade unionists that a United Ireland would be a success, they must before that make Northern Ireland a success. Both must get a sense of ownership of a shared achievement. I cannot say what that achievement should be. It is something for people in Northern Ireland to work on. It can be works of the imagination, works of literature or cultural and sporting activities. Sport is hugely significant. The fact that Arlene Foster attended the Ulster football final when Fermanagh was playing was very important. I do not want to insult anybody by saying that I hope Fermanagh will win the Ulster final again. It would be helpful if it got Arlene Foster to come.

There are also divisions in the churches. I am a strong believer in Catholic education and I am a practising Catholic but getting unionist and nationalist children to be together at school could in the particular context of Northern Ireland be even more important than denominational education. In the context of sport, Cliftonville Football Club and Glentoran Football Club represent opposite sides of the political divide in soccer in Belfast. We must try to create conditions in which people feel more comfortable joining the football club of the other side andvice versa. This could be almost as a gesture. There is also the fact that people had classes in Irish in east Belfast, which was important. A lot of little things will make reconciliation.