Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I thank the Chairman and members of the committee. I welcome the opportunity to address the committee on the current situation in Northern Ireland and the agreement reached following ten weeks of intensive talks.

As members of the committee will know, these talks were brought to a successful conclusion on 17 November 2015 with negotiations resulting in “A Fresh Start – the Stormont House Agreement and Implementation Plan”. The agreement is split into six sections covering ending paramilitarism and tackling organised crime, welfare reform and financial matters including financial supports from the British and Irish Governments and implementation of other aspects of the Stormont House agreement. Regrettably, it was not possible within the timescale of these talks to address all aspects of the Stormont House agreement and this is something I will return to in more detail later.

The Fresh Start agreement is not a final destination but represents a significant step forward towards normalising politics and society. Considering where we began, in terms of the threat to the very existence of the devolved power sharing institutions, the agreement’s fundamental achievement is the stability it has brought to the institutions so that they are now in a position to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland.

With the strong support of the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, and I, together with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland worked with the five main political parties in Northern Ireland to ensure the threat of collapse was overcome and the political impasse was resolved. All parties around the table worked tirelessly to ensure Northern Ireland did not fall off the precipice and that all the good work that has been achieved in the North in the past 17 years was not undone. While focusing to some extent on the removal of obstacles, the Fresh Start agreement has ultimately delivered an outcome that not only unblocks progress, but provides a credible roadmap for implementing many aspects of the Stormont House agreement and tackling the continuing impact of paramilitarism.

The continuing impact and legacy of paramilitarism was a key issue going into these talks and one that was threatening to destabilise the devolved power sharing institutions. The Fresh Start agreement sets out a plan to end the scourge of paramilitarism and associated criminality. Critically, all parties have agreed to sign up to a set of principles which commit them to achieving a society free of paramilitarism and challenge paramilitary attempts to control communities.

In practical terms what this means is the execution of a strategy and action plan to be put in place by the Northern Ireland Executive by June 2016, the aim of which will be to work to disband paramilitary groups and end their destabilising influence on communities. Together with the British Government, the Irish Government will establish a four-member international body that will monitor and report on the progress made towards ending paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland, taking account of the strategy to be agreed and implemented by the Executive. We will also work to enhance and improve cross-Border law enforcement and co-operation, particularly when it comes to tackling organised crime. This will be achieved through a joint agency task force that will be established to tackle these serious issues that are a threat to our communities. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, will lead on this and will meet her Northern counterpart and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland next Monday to begin this process and to discuss measures to enhance further cross-Border co-operation.

Important progress was also made in the areas of budgetary reforms and financial assistance. The Fresh Start agreement represents a genuinely exciting opportunity.

It unblocks several important financial and institutional reforms which are so important for economic stability and will enable the Northern Ireland Executive to deliver more effectively for all the people of Northern Ireland. It will also help the Government and the Executive to co-operate further with the aim of unlocking the full potential of our island economy. The Government has made important financial commitments under the agreement. Contacts with the Northern Ireland Executive are under way with regard to the implementation of these, including the provision of £75 million towards the completion of the first part of the A5 motorway. This project will help unlock the full potential of the north west of the island.

The Government has committed a further €2.5 million, which will be matched by the Northern Ireland Executive, for investment in a north-west regional development fund that includes County Donegal. We will continue to explore the development of further cross-Border greenways and blueway leisure routes, including the Ulster Canal, and remain committed to the concept of the Narrow Water bridge which has the potential to provide jobs and a significant boost to tourism in the surrounding area.

The Fresh Start agreement reaffirms the Government’s support for the EU PEACE and INTERREG programmes and its commitment to working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to fully realise the programmes' potential. Almost €500 million will be available from EU sources during the period 2016 to 2021. It also recalls the existing commitments set out in the Government’s capital plan regarding investment in key transport corridors, including the €18 million in funds committed to the ongoing upgrade of the Dublin-Belfast rail corridor and cross-Border co-operation in the areas of flood relief and the energy and communications sectors. The Government will continue to explore capital investment in health projects and services which benefit the Border region. These projects and initiatives have the potential to bring real day-to-day benefits to the people on both sides of the Border. We have committed a total of €110 million under this agreement, much of which will go towards realising the full economic potential of the north west.

As the Minister of State with responsibility for North-South co-operation, I am especially pleased with the resumption of meetings of the North-South Ministerial Council following re-engagement by DUP Ministers. The North-South Ministerial Council, NSMC, plenary meeting, hosted by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in Armagh, was held last Friday, 11 December. The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, attended the plenary where discussions centred on the recent A Fresh Start agreement and the work to be undertaken by officials to review North-South infrastructure projects. The council also welcomed the commitment in A Fresh Start to tackle paramilitarism, criminality and organised crime and to bring to justice those involved in them.

I am glad to report that five North-South Ministerial sectoral meetings have taken place since the re-engagement of the DUP Ministers. It is important that momentum on North-South co-operation is picked up again both within the NSMC and outside of the formal structures, with particular focus on the economy, employment and business development.

It was not possible, unfortunately, to address all aspects of the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement in the Fresh Start agreement. It is regrettable that A Fresh Start did not address the implementation of the provisions of the Stormont House Agreement dealing with the legacy of the past. I share the disappointment felt by the victims of the Troubles, the survivors and their families. On several occasions I acted as co-chair to the round-table discussions on legacy issues. We were very close to agreement on a range of issues, including the establishment and operation of the historical investigations unit and the independent commission for information retrieval, the setting up of the implementation and reconciliation group on a statutory footing and the detail and operation of the oral history archive. A crucial issue upon which agreement could not be found was in striking the right balance between the disclosure needs of families and the national security requirements sought by the British Government. I stress again, and as the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, has said previously, it was not the Irish Government which pressed for an agreement that left aside the legacy of the past. However, when it became clear that the choice was between having an agreement which uncoupled the past or having no agreement at all, the Government agreed most reluctantly to have a less than comprehensive deal which would at least ensure devolved institutions would be protected and placed on a stable and sustainable footing.

It is important now to find a way forward that banks the good progress achieved during the talks and secures a solution to outstanding matters. To this end, contacts continue with the British Government, the five main political parties in Northern Ireland and, most important, with various victims’ groups. The Minister, Deputy Flanagan, met Northern Ireland’s Commissioner for Victims and Survivors on 26 November to discuss the concerns of victims and possible ways to take the issue forward in a way that satisfies these concerns. The Minister, Deputy Flanagan, also met the Northern Ireland Minister for Justice, David Ford, MLA, last Friday, 11 December 2015, and legacy was a key agenda item. Legacy will also be key in the upcoming meeting of the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland before Christmas.

The provisions of the Stormont House Agreement for dealing with the legacy of the past offer the best possible way of bringing whatever healing is possible to those affected by the Troubles. To achieve this, it is vital these new institutions have the trust and confidence of survivors and their families. Their needs will remain central to the Government’s work in this area.

I reiterate the Government’s commitment to working with the Northern Ireland Executive and the British Government to ensure A Fresh Start is implemented in full. While work will continue on the vital issue of dealing with the legacy of the past, this agreement is a further step forward in Northern Ireland’s journey towards long-term peace and stability. Through the implementation of the agreement, there is an opportunity to demonstrate that power-sharing devolution can provide good government and can offer hope for future generations. I thank committee members for their time.