Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I am sure everyone in this House will join the tributes which were paid in the Northern Assembly to the civilian security personnel who managed to avoid an outrage in the Stormont premises. Does the Taoiseach agree that the drama outside Stormont diverted attention from the lack of progress that was made in the Chamber itself? The approach of the two Governments has been characterised by consistent slippage, unfortunately. I say that as someone who has consistently supported the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister in terms of the St. Andrews Agreement.

We were told prior to the St. Andrews Agreement that if all parties did not unequivocally sign up to the Governments' requirements, plan B would immediately be put into effect for enhanced co-operation between the two Governments. They then went ahead and set up new deadlines during the St. Andrews process. Most of the deadlines have since been missed. The preparation for government committee was to meet on October 18, but did not do so. All parties were to consult, come back and give an unequivocal response to the agreement by 10 November. The responses of the DUP and Sinn Féin were half-hearted at best.

We were also assured that Sinn Féin was ready to sign up to policing and that an announcement would be made about holding an Ard-Fheis, but no such announcement has yet been made. On 18 October, the Taoiseach told the House: "We are also clear that in the event of failure to reach agreement on 24 November, we will proceed on the basis of the new British-Irish partnership arrangements to implement the agreement." That did not happen and, worse, the Secretary of State, Mr. Peter Hain announced — presumably with the Taoiseach's agreement — that he was prepared to water down the conditions further so that the parties were only required to indicate, as distinct from nominate, a First Minister and a Deputy First Minister.

Whatever about statements that have been made elsewhere, is it not the case that the only place we can get the necessary commitments is in the Chamber of the Assembly itself? Is the Taoiseach saying that he accepts that interviews given by Dr. Paisley outside the Chamber meet the requirements now posed by the two Governments? Does he accept the situation in which the Secretary of State apparently directed the speaker to accept whatever the party leaders were going to say? Dr. Paisley, normally a blunt speaker, neither indicated nor nominated, nor was nominated, for the position of First Minister. However, by what appeared to be a prior arrangement, and rescued in a ghoulish way by Mr. Michael Stone, the speaker of the Chamber said that she accepted it as an indication, as required by the Secretary of State.

As the leader of a party that has consistently supported the commendable efforts of the Taoiseach, I would like to hear his views on where we stand now. There has been a record of consistent slippage since before the St. Andrews process started.

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