Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputies will notice that we have broken with a long tradition of answering 100 questions together and have grouped them in a way that will allow for better questioning, if one likes, from Opposition Deputies and, I hope, more appropriate and succinct replies from the Government. We have tried to group together questions on Northern Ireland, the British Prime Minister, European issues and so forth, which was not the case previously, as far as I can recall. Deputies were anxious that we do this.

In so far as a bill of rights is concerned, the Government is a co-guarantor, with the British Government, in respect of the Good Friday Agreement and we would like the agreement to be implemented in full, including its provisions on a bill of rights. As the Deputy correctly noted, the Westminster Commission on a Bill of Rights, which was established to report on a United Kingdom wide bill of rights, stated it did not want to interfere in the process in Northern Ireland. While I do not know what are the differences of opinion among the parties in Northern Ireland, the Government is anxious to move ahead with the provision of a bill of rights. However, some discussion is needed on the issue with the parties and I will do this. I do not have any difficulty visiting places in Belfast such as that to which the Deputy referred.

The Government will continue to work with the other co-guarantor - the British Government - and the Northern Ireland Executive. I would like to hear from the parties in Northern Ireland as to what are their views about moving on with this issue. Deputy McDonald does not want to impose her views on parties that have been democratically elected to the Executive. As a part of the Good Friday Agreement, of which the Government is a co-guarantor, we would like a bill of rights to be implemented.

On the issue of flags, it would be simplistic to state that the level of violence was consequent on the democratic decision taken by Belfast City Council on the flags issue. Dealing with the past and other current contentious issues, which are, if one likes, manifestations of the same legacy, presents challenges for us all. This issue must be at the core of the work of Northern Ireland leaders and the Executive and Assembly for some time. The Government will engage with all of them in as positive and constructive a manner as possible. Just this week, I raised the issue of the peace dividend at European level and I hope to do so again during the forthcoming discussions on the multi-annual financial framework, which are to be held on Thursday and Friday. The First and Deputy First Ministers were in Brussels last week where they had a good engagement with personnel in the different parties and sectors on maintaining a peace dividend in the European Union budget.

It is clear that the parties in Northern Ireland need to resolve a number of issues around flags and symbols in a respectful and agreed fashion as we work towards having a society that understands that more issues unite us than divide us. As we have all stated previously, it is important to have recognition of difference and tolerance for traditions.

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