Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

In response to Deputy Gilmore, I understand his point. However, the fact of the matter is that if there is a difficulty in the process and the Governments, as co-guarantors of the agreements, wish to see full implementation of these agreements with the participation of the other parties, particularly in the context of the devolution of policing and justice given the steps that must be taken within the Assembly apart from elsewhere to effect that, then the Governments would ideally like to see these matters resolved between the parties in the normal course of discourse between them.

The problem was that they were not getting resolved. It had got to the point at which indications were being given two years on from May 2008, which was the indicative time given by Prime Minister Brown and the then Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, at the time of the St. Andrew's Agreement as being the time by which they felt sufficient community confidence could be built up to enable the devolution of policing and justice and all of the parties would fully subscribe to signing up to the reforms in the PSNI and putting in place all Patton recommendations and ethos. All of that happened, yet people were still looking at an indicative date as being the time by which it should happen while others were emphasising the conditions being right for it to happen, a conditions-based approach. What was clearly the case, given the very detailed steps that both the First and Deputy First Ministers had agreed to take place in order to build up confidence, was that we had come to a point at which a decision probably needed to be taken. Other aspects of the agreement need to be advanced as well. We are talking about trying to complete agreements that have been reached.

As the Deputy knows, various nuanced positions have been taken by various parties on the St. Andrew's Agreement and to what extent they were tied into specific processes and timescales announced by the Governments at the time. This was done by the Governments because one did not have overt and explicit agreement between the parties in respect of those issues at that time, but a process was agreed by which one would have expected a consensus to emerge within the timeframes outlined.

I take the point that it is important for these institutions to be sustained and for the working relationship between the parties to be such that the intervention of Government would not be required. I would make the point that, if we get to the point at which we can fully devolve remaining powers to the Administration, then clearly the role of Government in terms of trying to resolve outstanding issues becomes less because one has, by that stage, perhaps crossed an important hurdle, namely, an important landmark whereby devolution in full is operational. However, there are still very important strands of the agreement on the North-South issues and the relationship between the Government and the Administration that need to be fostered and developed. I do not see at any time how the Government could fulfil its obligations by stepping back in the process. The Government should be there to assist a deeply divided political culture in finding a ways and means of having a modus vivendi between parties. It requires a change in the political culture. It requires people to realise that the old hegemonies are gone. We are in a brave new world, a situation in which everyone's view must be accommodated, but we must also have generosity of spirit in forming that process and in people making compromises. The culture has never been about making compromises successfully in the past. Those who made compromises paid the political price.

We are not only trying to devise structures. People get caught up on structures but, as important as they are, it is about changing the political culture. It is where people see and recognise that one's position has to take account of someone else's position and find a way through it coherently. The need for trust and confidence in one another's capacity to work together is fundamental to that, as is the need to improve political relations, as one knows from this jurisdiction in terms of coalition governments. They need to foster relationships between people who have been politically opposed to one another in a previous parliamentary session. That must all change and people must be proactively working at that all of the time. There is a need for this to be a part of the equation a well. It is not about a separate but equal operation. It is about a coherent whole working together and recognising that there are people with very strongly held and different perspectives on many fundamental issues, such as what they are about, who they are and where their affiliations and loyalties lie.

For me, the great genius of these agreements is that we are not seeking to reach a predetermined destination. We are on a journey that will take us wherever it will based on principles of consent, mutual respect and mutual interest. We have to devise a culture that sustains institutions to be effective and responsive to people's needs. I feel very strongly that everyone must hear the voice of the public in this. The people of Northern Ireland on all sides of the equation want this to work. They want people to overcome their difficulties and find a way through. They are showing a lot of patience because they understand that the prize is considerable. As a result of the progress made up to Wednesday there was a feeling from us, as British Prime Minister and Taoiseach, that there would be a way through if people kept the momentum going and worked at the issue. We felt that a couple of days should bring about agreement on the principles informing an agreement going forward.

As a result of the way people approach things a level of reassurance is sought that may well be greater than what the Deputy and I or Deputy Kenny and I might seek in respect of a political accommodation based on how we operate. There is a long journey that has been trod and we must be patient and supportive. A prolonged but genuine effort is being made to find a solution. I hope and believe that is the case and everybody is working on that basis. Those are the sort of assurances that people are working to.

I agree with the Deputy and would like to see matters completed quickly. I pay tribute, if I may, to my own colleague, Deputy Micheál Martin, and Secretary of State Shaun Woodward, who have helped the process along as closer agreement has been sought. Other parties in plenary session have also put forward their views and their role in the future working of the administration must be recognised. The two main parties are involved in direct discussions but other parties have a locus and role which must also be respected.

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