Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

We will meet the Secretary of State in due course. Indeed, we have written to congratulate her on her appointment and to offer any assistance. I have also written to George Mitchell to congratulate him on his appointment and to offer any assistance or advice that Ireland can give, considering our history of conflict resolution and the noble role that he played in assisting the peace process, which led to the Good Friday Agreement. He is an experienced mediator and is not new to events in the Middle East. He is fully aware of the different approaches to various parties. The main game in town is the Egyptian process and the sets of negotiations in which the Egyptians are engaged. Senator Mitchell, who is in the Middle East this week, will take cognisance of the process and talk to all of the major players.

The question on Hamas was fair. During the EU meeting, it was raised by a number of Foreign Ministers. In our situation, people who were outside the mainstream of political opinion, such as those in the Sinn Féin movement, took a lengthy period before they entered the political discussions. Events had to occur beforehand. They did not occur by accident. People needed to change their positions and sequencing, mutual understanding and so forth were required. All of these constitute the delicate art of peace building and will be required in the Middle East.

Hamas must also move. It cannot stay rooted. Seeking ways to bring Hamas and others into the political mainstream, to have it renounce violence and to enter a process that offers a genuine two-state solution, would be worthwhile. There must be a sincerity behind the process. This is the creativity that Senator Mitchell and others will bring to the table.

See this speech in context