Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The next IMC report is due in October, a critical time in the peace process. I am sure some of the issues Deputy Kenny has mentioned will be addressed in it. Ongoing criminality in Northern Ireland, which may overflow into this jurisdiction, is of concern. Criminality of any kind cannot be tolerated, and the Garda and PSNI are making significant progress in dealing with the issue. The Deputy will have noted the co-operation of the Criminal Assets Bureau, backed up by the Garda, the Army and special units with the Northern Ireland authorities to break some of the gangs and groups who have been involved in this. The Sinn Féin leadership has also condemned that criminal activity, an important signal in its own right.

We outlined our position on Colombia through diplomatic channels in November or December. I do not think we have heard back from the Colombians, although I endeavoured to meet them on the fringes of the EU-LAC summit. We had a meeting arranged, but political difficulties in Colombia meant that the other party had to cancel. I am not aware of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform having heard anything. We set out our position and outlined the procedures regarding the courts and how the judicial process works here in the early winter. Garda investigation of the Northern Bank raid continues, and it still has several people working on it.

The report last week by the Police Oversight Commissioner for Northern Ireland, Mr. AlHutchinson, indicated that policing need not be an issue there, which is also my view. Given the reforms already in place and the fact the Patten report has been all but implemented, I hope the debate within republicanism can move on too. I welcome the extent to which the republican leadership recognises that the issue must be resolved.

Inevitably, there will be renewed focus on all these issues over the coming months as we move forward. We know that in the context of the last comprehensive discussions held in 2004, Sinn Féin was prepared to move forward on policing, including the need for security and justice issues to be devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. I welcome any early dialogue between the parties on this issue, possibly within the context of the preparation for Government committee.

As its name suggests, this committee is concerned with the restoration of devolved Government and preparations to reform the Executive and take on the responsibilities on the basis set down in the Good Friday Agreement and what has been worked out in great detail for a long period. All these issues can be discussed and I hope the parties can enter into dialogue on these substantive issues and move on from painful weeks of procedural wrangling. I hope they can put this behind them and address the substantive issues.

It is pointless wrangling over these issues. There is important business to attend to in Northern Ireland, not least yesterday's announcement by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain MP, that the first steps have been taken to revise the entire education system in Northern Ireland. This is a significant policy change which will affect the young people of Northern Ireland and their parents. The timeline for the process announced by Mr. Hain allows for locally elected politicians in the North to have a final say on an important part of this process if they agree to restore the assembly and Executive before the deadline set out in legislation. They will have an opportunity to play a role in the discussions on and decisions regarding the abolition of the 11-plus examination. If they do not reach agreement, the ban on academic selection will become law as soon as the deadline expires.

This is only one of a range of issues that are now progressing without the involvement of the political process and elected politicians in Northern Ireland. If for no other reason, I urge locally elected politicians to engage with the process and give themselves the opportunity to make real decisions affecting the lives of ordinary people who went to the trouble of electing them.

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