Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Naturally that is what I would like to see in the negotiations. We can see an ending on all sides. There is a willingness in this regard but there are some people on the fringes — the loyalists recognise this — who do not have total control or even a means of exercising such control. Regardless of whether it is republicans, dissident republicans, loyalists or whoever is involved, we must try to find a way to move towards an end of this process. If we can do that, we will open opportunities to find the means of having an inclusive Executive. Otherwise, as Deputy Ó Caoláin is aware, it is obvious we are unlikely to encourage parties to work inclusively.

In the review, we must consider how we can move towards that position. On one hand, the issue is paramilitarism and there should be the inclusion of all sides and all factors and, on the other, the issue is the stability of a working, inclusive executive that represents all people — Nationalists, republicans, loyalists and Unionists — in Northern Ireland. While that is not the only part of the review, it is a central point which will stop us from getting devolution into operation, as set out in the Good Friday Agreement, with a working executive and Assembly, with the institutions under strands two and three, the North-South bodies and the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference working properly together.

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