Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I discussed this with the leader of the SDLP, Mark Durkan, and colleagues on a number of occasions. As I stated, I would like to see their proposals and other proposals examined and discussed within the Assembly. If we cannot get things up and running exactly as we would like, all the parties have different proposals and they should get an airing. The reason for that is if they are to be workable, they must get cross-community support between, or at least among enough of, them. For it to work on the basis of the Good Friday Agreement it needs everybody.

There are merits in many proposals. Some of the proposals are not that far away from each other, although unfortunately they are portrayed as being very different to each other. In the normal political thrust of politicians and political parties being able to debate the proposals, they perhaps would see some aspects of them that they could successfully take forward.

Our opening position is that it must be strictly as per the Good Friday Agreement. On their examining proposals, the review did so and came up with many different positions. The SDLP's proposals have been well thought out. I am not sure whether they would carry support from other parties. Whatever chance one would have, they need to be heard in the bigger picture of the Assembly.

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