Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

This matter will be further debated in the House tomorrow. I thank our Scottish colleagues for the facilities they made available to us and particularly thank the Scottish First Minister, Mr. Jack McConnell, for his courtesy and the time he afforded us on our arrival on Wednesday last.

We had a successful meeting with the Northern Ireland parties and appreciate the valuable contributions that were made. A timetable is in place for the restoration of the institutions. We have ensured the deadline of 24 November remains real. The engagement was difficult and for a long time it seemed we would not get an outcome. However, we produced a document and it is hoped that, after studying it, all parties will come to agreement.

While there are many elements to the document, the essential ones involve commitments by the DUP to power sharing and by Sinn Féin to accept and support policing. Sinn Féin's position on policing will be decided through its own structures in the weeks ahead.

All parties left St. Andrews in a positive frame of mind. They were asked to say whether they would agree the package by 10 November, following consultation with their members. If agreed, the nomination of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on 24 November would be on course. Dr. Paisley told us the DUP will say "yes" to this. While the First Minister and Deputy First Minister will not actually take up office on that date, symbolically it will be a landmark moment.

In advance of this, the parties will begin meeting at leadership level to discuss the programme for government. That issue was to be dealt with today. I do not believe we should get too excited about developments on this issue. Annex A of the St. Andrews document dealt with the issue that emerged today. Annex A states under amendments to the pledge of office:

The pledge of office would require that Ministers would participate fully in the Executive and NSMC/BIC, and would observe the joint nature of the office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister. Before the Government legislates on the pledge of office it will consider the outcome of further preparation for government committee discussions on policing and the rule of law.

It is clear that the issue that created some difficulties today was dealt with by the two Governments and was to be dealt with in the preparation for government committee discussions.

The fundamental principles of the Good Friday Agreement are consent for constitutional change, commitment to exclusively peaceful and democratic means, stable inclusive partnership government, respect for equality and human rights and a balanced institutional accommodation of the key relationships within Northern Ireland, between North and South and between these islands. These remain unchanged. The St. Andrews proposals, which arise from the review of the Good Friday Agreement, if accepted by the parties, will ensure they are fully reflected and implemented as intended by the Agreement for the first time since the suspension of power sharing four years ago.

The Good Friday Agreement was never intended to be static. It provided for a review of its operation by the Governments and parties four years after it came into operation. The review began in 2004 but given the events of December 2004, it could not be brought to a conclusion. We hope these proposals will now help to bring the process forward. I hope with the issues that created some difficulties today, and other issues, that people will look at the annex and agree them, as the Governments said they should, in the preparation for government committee.

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