Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 15, inclusive, together.

I met Dr. Paisley and senior representatives of the DUP on 15 June in the Irish Embassy in London. The meeting was the first chance to meet the DUP since its success in the UK elections. We had a good, comprehensive discussion about the current political situation. The DUP knows that the Good Friday Agreement is the centrepiece of the Irish Government's policy. We reiterated our view that the only way forward is for people to share power on the basis of equality and a commitment to exclusively peaceful and democratic methods. That is also the view of the British Government. To move forward, we need a clear, unambiguous end to all paramilitary and criminal activity and the completion of decommissioning.

Dr. Paisley made it clear that he is only interested in actions, not just words, and the Irish Government shares that view. I assured Dr. Paisley and his colleagues that we also want the IRA response to be conclusive and decisive. We also said to the DUP that if we see the actions that are required, both Governments will expect Unionists to participate in fully inclusive partnership politics in Northern Ireland, recognising that regaining confidence and trust will inevitably take some time. We also talked about the importance of everybody in the community working together to ensure we have a peaceful summer.

I had a separate meeting with Prime Minister Blair on the same day. This was our first opportunity to meet in person since the British general election. We reviewed our respective contacts with the political parties, including my meeting earlier in the day with the DUP. We reaffirmed our shared position that full implementation of the Agreement is the way forward and that to get to that point, we need to see a complete end to paramilitary and criminal activity and the completion of decommissioning.

I met the Prime Minister again yesterday when we jointly chaired the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, BIIGC. This was the first meeting of the conference at summit level since 1999. The meeting was the first comprehensive engagement between the two Governments on Northern Ireland since the British general election in May. I was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain, together with other Ministers for Northern Ireland participated on the British side.

We discussed a range of issues, including political developments, security and criminal justice, policing, the marching season, human rights and North-South co-operation. I also raised the Dublin-Monaghan bombings with the Prime Minister.

The joint communiqué which was issued after the conference outlines in greater detail the issues we discussed. A copy of this communiqué has been placed in the Oireachtas Library. The two Governments will continue to remain in close contact over the coming period. The Government also remains in contact with the other parties in Northern Ireland. I met the Alliance Party in January and I am happy to have meetings with parties as the need arises. In this context, I reiterate my congratulations to Sir Reg Empey as the new leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. I hope that we will have the opportunity to meet shortly.

As Deputies may know, I was in Belfast last week at the ICTU conference. I do not have definite plans to visit Northern Ireland again in the near future.

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