Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom beannachtaí na hathbhliana a bhronnadh ar an Teachta Adams agus ar gach Ball den Teach. I am aware that the Deputy had surgery recently and I wish him a good recovery.

The Government and I are extremely concerned with regard to what has been taking place in Belfast and elsewhere in recent weeks. I refer to the widespread street violence that has occurred, to the attacks on members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, including the attempted murder of police officers, and to the many attempts that have been made to intimidate public representatives and their families. I have condemned these events unreservedly.

As the Deputy is aware I have remained in contact with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers, and with all the party leaders in Northern Ireland, throughout that period. Over the past week, I have spoken with Peter Robinson, Martin McGuinness, David Ford, Mike Nesbitt and Alasdair McDonnell. I will be travelling to Belfast tomorrow morning to meet with the Secretary of State and the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. Officials from my Department continue to work closely with the British Government and with political representatives in Northern Ireland to identify ways to address not just the current crisis but also its underlying problems. My officials have been keeping in close contact with the situation on the ground. They visited St. Matthew's church and the Short Strand community yesterday and they reported to me extensively on the local situation. I am concerned by reports that the attacks on houses in the Short Strand were premeditated and I condemn them. I will be discussing that matter with the Secretary of State and the First Minister and Deputy First Minister when I meet them tomorrow. I hope to visit the Short Strand area and other community interfaces in the near future.

The economic cost of recent events is becoming apparent. Apart from the cost of the policing operation which is estimated at €7 million, foreign direct investment, the retail trade and tourism are all at risk. The Confederation of British Industry director in Northern Ireland has warned of the economic damage being inflicted on local businesses, tourism and investment.

It is my hope that out of this setback we will see a redoubling of efforts to achieve a genuinely reconciled society in Northern Ireland. It is a reminder to all of us that the peace process is exactly that: a process which still has some way to go. Both political co-operation and security co-operation on this island have never been better and we can rely on those relationships of trust and on the resilience of the Good Friday Agreement to create space for progress beyond the current difficulties.

The Irish Government has no closer political relationship than with the Northern Ireland Executive. Over the past year alone, the Taoiseach and I and other Ministers have met with members of the Northern Ireland Executive on over 50 occasions. The persistence of sectarianism in Northern Ireland and the absence of agreement on the shared future agenda contribute to the likelihood of incidents such as those we have witnessed in recent weeks. Building relationships between divided communities takes time and a sustained effort and investment. I wish to assure the Deputy and the House that this Government is committed to doing just that.

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