Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 30 together.

The Government is committed to the full implementation of all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement and the St. Andrews Agreement, including the effective operation of all the Institutions — the Northern Ireland Executive, the North-South Ministerial Council and the British Irish Council. The Taoiseach and I have conveyed that message to the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister and all the parties in recent meetings and conversations, including during my visit to Stormont on 18 September.

The Government is disappointed the Executive did not meet on Thursday, 2 October, and that this led to the postponement of the scheduled plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council the following day. A number of challenging issues face the Northern Ireland Executive, including the central question of devolution of policing and justice powers. It is the shared view of the Irish and British Governments that the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly should take on this responsibility, as set out in the St. Andrews Agreement, and I look forward to an early agreement between the parties on this question. We believe it is time to complete the process of devolution.

The Government remains in close contact with the British Government and the parties in the Northern Ireland Executive and will continue to offer support and assistance to the parties as they work to find solutions to their current difficulties. I met Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, yesterday evening to discuss the present situation, and our respective officials remain in close contact. It is vital, particularly in these challenging economic times, that the Executive gets down to business and works in a spirit of partnership and co-operation for the benefit of the people of Northern Ireland. This will also facilitate the continuation of the work of the North-South Ministerial Council, which is in the interests of the island as a whole. I am hopeful that, working together, the parties can resolve the outstanding issues before them, as indicated by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister during their joint appearance before a Stormont Assembly committee last week.

See this speech in context