Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like other members, I welcome Sir John Major to our committee. I compliment him on the excellence of his presentation and his outlining of the chronology of events and of challenges facing both Governments over that particular period. He outlined how, as he took up leadership of his party and the role of Prime Minister, the backdrop on these two islands with 25 years of terror was that violence was totally unacceptable. I recall being at the press conference after Albert Reynolds was elected leader of the political party to which both Senator Blaney and myself belong, where Albert Reynolds basically outlined the same thing, that there had to be a path to peace found and we had to banish terror, criminality and paramilitarism from Irish society. Both men played a huge role in bringing us the peace we enjoy in this country today and I compliment him on that work.

I always have believed the Downing Street Declaration was an extremely important stepping stone. Some weeks ago here, I was very surprised that Gerry Adams downplayed the importance of that particular strategy and document that was agreed between both Governments. I think Sir John said in his presentation today that after 70 years of partition and 24 years of bloodshed, there was an agreement between the Irish and British Governments. I note John Finucane quite rightly welcomed Sir John's role and the importance of that particular agreement.

Like my colleague, Senator Blaney, I had the privilege of listening to Sir John address a meeting in the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2013 on the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Downing Street Declaration. He spoke at that time about the trust that had been built up between Albert Reynolds and himself. He mentioned at that time the importance of both men knowing each other from his role of Chancellor of the Exchequer and Albert Reynold's role as Minister for Finance and that they had that working relationship because they attended meetings together at the Council of finance ministers at the European Union. What importance would Sir John attach to the working relationship that had developed between both them in their respective roles in finance prior to taking on the role of Head of Government and in having that trust built up, which they had when they took on the role of Heads of Government? Was that particularly important?

I also acknowledge Sir John's generosity towards the role of Albert Reynolds, John Bruton, and Tony Blair, his successor as Prime Minister as well, in the work they did to bring peace to this island, between Britain, and a much more mature and good relationship between both Governments and both islands. When he looks back on the particular challenges that he outlined so well in his presentation, there were challenges every day. We are talking about the preservation of life and the establishment of peace. Surely it should not be beyond the political process to get agreement in regard to trade between these islands and with the European Union in relation to the protocol. The challenges he and the Irish Government, and political leaders throughout both islands faced at that time, were much more daunting than any of the challenges facing both Governments and political parties in Northern Ireland today.