Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste correctly stated that the street violence in Belfast and elsewhere and the attempts on the lives of police officers are unacceptable and reprehensible. These are issues that we believed had been thoroughly addressed. The past 40 days in Belfast clearly demonstrate the need for both Governments to continue to take an active interest in developing the peace process. We spoke previously in this House about the need for constant vigilance over the peace process. I welcome that the Tánaiste has been in constant contact with the Northern Ireland Executive at First Minister and Deputy First Minister level and with other party leaders. I ask him to ensure the message is passed on to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister that politics must be seen to work. It is not a question of emblems or street violence; it is about improving the lives of the people of Northern Ireland. We must bear in mind the comments by the leader of the SDLP at his party's conference in November, when he described the Executive as the stagnation of a complacent and paralysed institution which is not delivering to the people in the areas for which it has responsibility. It is important this message is transmitted clearly to political leaders in Northern Ireland.

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