Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

One of the Government's stated strategic objectives is to enhance relationships on this island. Looking at how the Government does its work in terms of the modalities the Taoiseach outlined in this strategic document, he will recall that on 19 December I asked him about the bill of rights for the North. The bill of rights, as he will recall, is one of the outstanding matters from the Good Friday Agreement. For the past two and a half years, the British Government has used the work of a commission which it established to deal with the entire British state as an excuse for not delivering on a bill of rights in the North. When that commission released its report in December, however, it accepted the argument of the importance of a bill of rights.

It stated: "We do not wish to interfere in that process in any way nor for any of the conclusions that we reach to be interpreted or used in such a way as to interfere in, or delay, the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights process." When I raised this with the Taoiseach in December - there is talk in his responses that every three months there is a report and so on - he indicated he would read the report, which he had not read at that point. He committed to follow up with the Executive in the North and with the British authorities about this report. Has he read the report since then? Has the Government taken up this issue with the British Government and the North's Executive? How does he intend to secure progress on this very important issue?

The Taoiseach may have heard that the DUP Minister, Ms Arlene Foster MLA, said this morning that the DUP may support my weekend call for a Border poll under the Good Friday Agreement. This, rhetorically at least, is one of the aims of all the main parties in this Dáil. The Good Friday Agreement creates the democratic and peaceful process by which the citizens of the island can decide whatever our preference is. Perhaps those who want the union can try to persuade and argue outlining their vision. Those of us who want the unity of the people and of the island can do the same thing. All of us need to work with our Unionist neighbours to try to bring this about - indeed there is a constitutional obligation on the Government to do so. Does the Taoiseach welcome, as I have, the remarks of the Minister and would he support that as a process?

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