Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

Does the Taoiseach agree that five years on, the institutionalisation of sectarian division in the political structures of Northern Ireland, and the sectarian basis on which most political parties continue to operate, have unfortunately resulted in a widening polarisation of the communities? Does the Taoiseach agree that as a result, we now have more of a pretence of a political process than any substantial reality? Does he further agree that with three elections due in Northern Ireland in the next 14 months — the European, local and Westminster elections — we can expect the sectarian-based political parties to campaign true to form, continuing the polarisation?

Will the Taoiseach agree that the tragedy in all this is that working class communities, which bear the brunt of the results of polarisation and sectarianism, are still bedevilled with poverty and homelessness and now, unfortunately, in some areas racism is rearing its ugly head? Rather than having sectarian structures imposed upon them, is it not clear that working class people need a new political formation within which they can come together to unite in facing the problems they commonly face, rather than continue to be divided by sectarian politics?

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