Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I propose to answer Questions Nos.1 to 13, inclusive, together.

The report of the Bloody Sunday inquiry was published on Tuesday, 15 June. I met with families and representatives of the victims of Bloody Sunday on Wednesday, 16 June and congratulated them on the success of their long and difficult campaign. As Deputies will be aware, we will have an opportunity in the House next week to have a detailed discussion of the report.

I met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson, on 2 June and congratulated him on his appointment. The Secretary of State stressed the commitment of the new British Government to the Good Friday Agreement and all that has followed and to continued close co-operation between both Governments.

On the morning of 3 June, I received a courtesy call from the former First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive, Dr. Ian Paisley and his wife, Baroness Paisley. Later that day, with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, I met with an SDLP delegation led by the party leader, Margaret Ritchie and which also included Northern Ireland Minister for Social Development, Alex Attwood MLA, and the MPs for South Belfast and Foyle, Alasdair McDonnell MP and Mark Durkan MP.

I also met with a Sinn Féin delegation led by the party leader Gerry Adams and the Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness MLA. It also included the Northern Ireland Minister for Agriculture, Michelle Gildernew MLA.

At both meetings I congratulated the MPs on their recent electoral success. We reflected on the outcome of the recent election, with a particular emphasis on the positive results that saw all constituencies returning pro-Agreement representatives. I also briefed the party delegations on the Government's initial contact with the new British Government and looked forward to my first formal meeting with the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, which will take place later today.

We identified a number of new challenges and opportunities following the Westminster election and the successful completion of the devolution of policing and justice. These include working together to deal with the economic crisis, with a more ambitious approach to co-operation in delivering improved public services on an all-island basis against a background of fiscal restraint, North and South. We also discussed the increased interdependencies between both parts of the island in the economic sphere and the need to proactively develop the island economy. I also emphasised the need to continue to develop relationships with unionism, including in the context of the forthcoming commemorations, following on from my recent speech on the subject of a shared history. We also discussed the shared concerns of the Government and the Northern Ireland parties on the situation in Gaza. The publication of the Saville report into the events of Bloody Sunday was also discussed.

During 2008, the Government consulted with the social partners and various cross-Border and North-South groups on the establishment of the North-South consultative forum. Following on from this, we formally communicated our proposals to the Northern Ireland Executive on the role, format, membership and operation of the forum.

On 15 October 2009, the Government facilitated a consultative conference in Farmleigh involving the social partners and other civil society groups from across the island. I gave the opening address at that event. Participants from across the island came from all traditions, including representatives from business, the trade union movement, agriculture and the community and voluntary sector. There was a wide-ranging discussion on the role of civil society and its capacity to contribute meaningfully to cross-Border co-operation. There was strong support for further such engagement to explore specific areas for co-operation, North and South, at the level of civil society.

Following on from the October event, a second consultative conference took place in Dublin on 26 May. The event was well attended, with over one hundred representatives from civil society from both parts of the island in attendance. The Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive, Martin McGuinness MLA, addressed the conference. There were presentations and discussions on the key themes of the conference: sport and young people, and innovation.

I addressed a conference organised by the Institute of British-Irish Studies in University College Dublin on 20 May last on the theme, A Decade of Centenaries: Commemorating Our Shared History. I am arranging for Members of the Oireachtas to receive a copy of my speech. The conference was also addressed by the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure in the Northern Ireland Executive, Nelson McCausland MLA.

In the course of my address, I set out the principles which will guide the Government's approach. We want to see full acknowledgment of the totality of the island's history and the legitimacy of all the traditions on the island which draw their identity and collective memory from our shared history. We want the process of commemoration to recognise the totality of the history of the period and all the diversity that this encompasses. We believe that mutual respect should be central to all commemorative events and that historical accuracy should be paramount. Based on those principles, we will engage in a programme of outreach to all those who are interested in commemorating our history, in all its dimensions, with pride and respect. That will, of course, include all of the political parties on the island, as well as leaders of civic society and cultural institutions. The parties in the Oireachtas have already been working together on these issues through the all-party Oireachtas consultation group on the centenary of the Easter Rising.

In 2010, the Government commemorated the 94th anniversary of the Easter Rising on 4 April, Easter Sunday. The first annual commemoration in memory of Daniel O'Connell took place at the refurbished Glasnevin Cemetery on Sunday, 19 May. On Sunday, 16 May, the annual famine commemoration was held in Mayo. The annual national day of commemoration to commemorate all those who died in past wars or in service with the United Nations will take place on Sunday, 11 July, at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.

Latin American countries celebrate the 200th anniversary of their independence this year. Many Irishmen and women were associated with the achievement of independence, including Admiral William Brown, the "father of the Argentine Navy". The Government, in accordance with established precedent, acknowledged the significance of this anniversary and the links that Ireland has with these countries by sending the Irish Naval Service vessel, the LE Niamh, on a ten-week mission to Latin America, visiting Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico. The voyage will also include the first transit through the Panama Canal by an Irish Naval Service vessel. The LE Niamh is due back into Cork on 14 July.

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