Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

That is what I spend the other 80 hours a week doing. We have examined the proposals which have been made by various parties about the d'Hondt method and other issues. Deputy Ó Caoláin asked a specific question on the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. My view on this issue has not changed. I did not write the all-party report, but I agree with it. The Deputy will recall that we deliberated on the all-party report, which was a good report, for a long time. We all made submissions on it. I would gladly implement the report tomorrow if agreement could be reached on that. I have not changed my position on it. As I am a realist, I accept that we have struggled to reach the current position. I appreciate the co-operation of the various party leaders in getting to this stage, at least, because otherwise we would have nothing. We should see how the current arrangements work for a period of some years. Perhaps we could revisit the original report at a later date. We should concentrate our efforts on this report at this time. I have not changed my mind.

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