Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has put forward a package for infrastructure. A large portion corresponds to the ongoing costs of Northern Ireland to the British Exchequer but there is an additional sum. The package consists of £35 billion for the Executive for the next four years and £18 billion in support of a capital investment strategy until 2017. I have urged the Northern Ireland political parties to revive power-sharing so the people of Northern Ireland can benefit from the increased investment.

The parties intend to hold further discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the first meeting of the programme for government committee on this and on other demands they have. We have already helped with a number of projects, including the Ulster Canal, the development of Derry Airport and improvements in the Belfast road, much of the work on which was undertaken by our engineers. We are examining ways of contributing to the peace process with infrastructural projects in other Border areas. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, has made a number of detailed speeches on those matters and we are open to engagement on such projects. Many projects were put on hold because of difficulties with the Northern Ireland Office, though some progressed. If the North-South bodies were up and running again, some projects which would be well within our funding capability and would be helpful both North and South, without threatening anybody, could be progressed.

A number of investigations are ongoing, including the ones to which the Deputy referred. I have not received any new report on the Northern Bank raid but the file is still live with the Garda Síochána and the PSNI.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs held discussions earlier this year on the Colombia three. I headed an international meeting in which I had agreed to meet the vice-president of Colombia. He left to deal with another crisis but I spoke to some of his officials and we have maintained communications. I am not aware of the ongoing investigations being carried out by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

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