Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I wish to deal with the fact that the British-Irish Agreement remains to be fully implemented. For understandable reasons, the Government's focus has been on dealing with the economic recession. However, many matters have to a large degree been placed on hold. There should be a North-South consultative forum, which has not been established, and the bill of rights has not been introduced. Both Governments agreed to work with the North's Executive in respect of Acht na Gaeilge but this has not happened.

I accept that Deputy Kenny is new to his position as Taoiseach. However, there is a real need to focus. Many of the replies he gave earlier referred to the so-called dissident threat. We cannot ignore that threat but neither should we elevate those making it to a position where they feel some sense of self-importance.

The issues to which I refer are necessary parts of an international agreement between two sovereign Governments. In the past I have been critical of the Government sometimes behaving as a junior partner in its relationship with its British counterpart. I have no high regard for the current British Secretary of State. He is not good on these issues. By definition, a British Government is a Unionist Government. Mr. Owen Paterson is a Unionist of the old Tory school and is no friend of ours on these matters. His unilateral move in respect of the 50-50 representativeness requirement that was put in place on foot of the Patten Commission's recommendations is proof of that.

On the outstanding matters to which I refer, namely, the consultative forum, the bill of rights, Acht na Gaeilge and others such as the North-South parliamentary forum will require a great deal of focus on the part of the Government in the coming period. My party, and I am sure all others, will support it fully in its endeavours to have the provisions of the Agreement fully implemented.

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