Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I find it astonishing that Deputy Higgins would decry the right of the people of Northern Ireland to have a democratically elected Assembly, the first in very many years that has served its full term in a period where peace and stability have been brought to both communities. It is astonishing that the Deputy should decry the value of what he referred to as a "power-sharing arrangement" and which deals with the communities on both sides of the divide in Northern Ireland.

I fully understand the difficulties with which those on both sides of the divide who live in deprived and vulnerable areas are being obliged to contend. I remind the Deputy that a number of years have passed since I travelled to Northern Ireland to meet 13 commanders of the loyalist community in such a deprived area in order to express to them - along with a number of other public representatives from different parties - the value, for the areas they represented, of participating in democratic politics in the context of the services and opportunities that could be provided to young people in order that, unlike their predecessors, they might not become involved in violence, criminal activities and so on.

From that point of view, Deputy Higgins should be very understanding with regard to the value of the Northern Ireland Assembly. When I discussed the question of deprived areas with the British Prime Minister yesterday, we both agreed that we would like the next Assembly continue to deal, in peaceful circumstances, with the reality of people's everyday lives, with the responsibility of transforming the economy of Northern Ireland and with voting on and dispensing with the budget relating to the services which must be provided for the people of the North.

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