Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

No less than any other speakers, I am sure. Unquestionably, he stoked the embers of that conflict repeatedly. In his latter years he demonstrated the necessary skills and I sincerely hope we will see the spirit of co-operation that has infused the Executive and Assembly continuing after Ian Paisley.

Does the Taoiseach agree there is a certain irony in the position adopted by Deputy Kenny earlier in his questioning? In his opening line of questioning he urged action against dissident republicans but was later able to cite engagement with dissident republican voices in south Armagh. Perhaps unwittingly and unknownst to himself, the Deputy is feeding their agenda in fuelling the notion that the panacea for all the difficulties on the island of Ireland would be the ending of the IRA army council or whatever structures of the IRA may yet remain.

Will the Taoiseach, Deputy Kenny and others not consider for a moment that this is exactly what dissident republicanism want them to do? Will they ponder the possibility that the IRA, in whatever way it exists today, represents a bulwark against dissident advance in many areas on this island, not least of all in the Border counties in the North?

My next issue has been lost in some measure in this morning's line of questioning. Does the Taoiseach agree the most pressing and important advance which must now be delivered is the transfer of responsibility over policing and justice from Westminster to the Assembly and Executive at Belfast? Does he recall that this is a central element of the negotiated St. Andrews Agreement which he and the British Government are committed to seeing implemented? Will the Taoiseach indicate that it is his expectation that powers over policing and justice will be transferred over the coming period, as laid down in the St. Andrews Agreement? In his contacts with the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has he confirmed that it is the new British Prime Minister's intention to see that transfer of powers proceed as scheduled and, I emphasise, as clearly expected by the overwhelming body of opinion in the North of Ireland across unionism, nationalism and republicanism? Is he confident those powers will be transferred as scheduled?

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