Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

It is a bit rich to hear a lecture on what is happening in the North. As the only Teachta Dála who was honoured to serve people in the Northern Assembly, let me say there is confidence in that institution and also in terms of the requirement to fulfil fully the Good Friday Agreement.

On the Government's plans to amalgamate the Equality Authority and the Human Rights Commission, the Human Rights Commission is an essential part of the Good Friday Agreement and the Government will be in contravention of that Agreement if it goes along that track. I was at Hillsborough, as was the leader of Fianna Fáil, when the then Taoiseach refused to raise the issue of Irish language rights with the Unionists.

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