Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise concerns that decisions by the British Government are seriously undermining the Good Friday Agreement and the work of political institutions. This agreement and subsequent agreements transformed politics on this island, gave people great hope and brought peace - although it is a, imperfect peace - and a sense of stability for the future. While it most directly impacted on the North, it had a very good and positive effect here in this part of the island and throughout the diaspora.

Once the institutions were stabilised and the big issues such as arms being put beyond use and policing were dealt with, the Government here, and I include the previous Government, took its eye off this most important issue. The British Conservative and Liberal Democrat Government has also not engaged as it should have. The agreement is 15 years old, but there are still outstanding issues such as a bill of rights, Acht na Gaeilge and an all-Ireland charter of rights. We have discussed many times the failure and refusal of the British Government to act on commitments made in Weston Park with regard to the killing of Pat Finucane and the ongoing incarceration of Marian Price and Martin Corey without trial, and the Taoiseach believes they should be released or at least face due process. The Taoiseach is aware the Orange marching season has once again begun. There is much work to do. The Government is an equal guarantor with the British Government of this agreement. This is not the British Government's agreement; it is an agreement between the two governments and the rest of the political parties.

I spent all day yesterday in Stormont. The crux of what is undermining the ongoing work is that the British Government has reneged on an £18 billion commitment agreed at St. Andrews in 2006 to develop an economic peace dividend. It has just walked away from it. It has removed £4 billion from the block grant and is now imposing £1 billion of very significant cuts in welfare. The Taoiseach understands the great difficulties we have here economically because of many issues he inherited. We have had decades of conflict, disadvantage and discrimination in the North; if ever a place needed to be sustained and had need of an economic dividend it surely is this part of the island.

Will the Taoiseach join me and others in the Dáil in getting the British Government to honour its commitments and remove what is a threat to the well-being of the political institutions in the North, the Executive and the Assembly? These are commitments it made and has now reneged upon. I am not making them up.

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