Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 24 February 2026
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade
Reflecting on Ireland's Peace Process: Discussion
2:00 am
Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I welcome Mr. Ahern and Mr. Adams. I thank them for the work that they did for years to create peace on this island. We have different views on loads of things but I hugely respect the work they both did at that time.
Last night, I read both statements. They are very different statements. The statement by Mr. Ahern is more of a reflection on his time during the peace process. The statement by Mr. Adams is more about lessons to be learned from the peace process that can be used to resolve the Gaza-Israel conflict. He said: "peace will never be achieved through security and military means." That was not always the position of the IRA. I find interesting when Mr. Adams reflects on his time in the peace process. When did that change happen within the IRA? How did that change come about? How did the IRA get to a position where dialogue was the answer?