Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Labour Party supports the efforts of the Government, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs in trying to bring about a resolution to the difficulties that have arisen in Northern Ireland with regard to the devolution of policing and justice issues. I also acknowledge the efforts and significant contributions made by both Governments as well as the US Administration to matters over a period of years. However, I must wonder. We are 12 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, but it was already agreed at St. Andrew's that policing and justice powers would be devolved. All political parties in Northern Ireland state that they are in favour of having these powers devolved to their Administration. Most Parliaments, administrations and even local governments want to get more functions devolved to them, which is clearly a central issue in the context of Northern Ireland, yet agreement cannot be reached on it.

There is almost a sense of déjÀ vu. We arrive periodically at these crises in the process and the parties involved must have both Governments on an almost permanent standby to assist. I understand that the diaries of the Taoiseach and Prime Minister Brown have needed to be changed a number of times over the course of the past week. Now, we hear that the US Government might need to be brought in.

My first question is a general one. Is there too much hand-holding in this process? Second, the two Governments set a deadline for last Friday. Was doing so wise, given that it needed to be extended? I understand why it was extended and am not disputing its extension. I understood that the Governments were to publish proposals if the deadline was not met. The deadline has been extended, but at what point does the Taoiseach envisage the Governments publishing the proposals and are they such that they will achieve the objective of the devolution of policing and justice powers, which was agreed some time ago?

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