Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

The proposed agreement published by the Governments at St. Andrews comprehensively addressed the core issues standing in the way of the restoration of the power-sharing institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. It sets out a clear way forward for all parties to commit to the full operation of stable power-sharing government and the North-South and east-west arrangements and to full support for policing and the criminal justice institutions, including the policing board. It also sets out in some detail the practical changes proposed to the operation of the institutions, the arrangements for a financial package and the timetable for implementation of the agreement.

We have asked the parties to confirm acceptance of the agreement by 10 November so that the timetable we have laid out for the nomination of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in November and the restoration of the executive in March can be met. The timetable provides that, following endorsement of the St. Andrews agreement by the parties, legislation will be passed at Westminster in the week beginning 20 November to address a number of practical changes to the operation of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. These changes arise from the 2004 review of the Agreement and more recent detailed engagement between the parties, including in the preparation for government committee. This engagement is ongoing and as the parties continue their discussions in the coming weeks, we will closely monitor further developments.

The timetable for implementation of the St. Andrews agreement also foresees an electoral endorsement in March next year. As the Taoiseach stated in this House last week, it is clear from our discussions at St. Andrews that some form of electoral endorsement of the agreement as a whole will be required before the formation of an executive. The form such an endorsement would take in Northern Ireland is not yet decided, nor is the question of whether a referendum might be required here.

Before coming to a conclusion on this matter, the Government will want to know that parties are prepared to continue working within the framework we outlined at St. Andrews and to consider the outcome of the discussions between the parties on institutional issues. These discussions are continuing at Stormont in the framework of the preparation for government committee, which is likely to continue its work at least until the end of this month. The Government does not intend to rush to judgment in advance of clarity on these points. Any further developments will then be taken into account by the Attorney General, whose advice will guide our further considerations at Government.

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