Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is always a point where one could say that we need to take another step here. If one recalls the journey the people of Northern Ireland came through and all the difficulties over very many years, one can see that at the end of the day it required people to sit down to discuss, negotiate and get help and co-operation in putting a structure together under which the people of Northern Ireland could vote, have voted, will vote again and will elect their representatives. It is a different system to that which applied in previous years where everything was taken by one group. It is now spread because of the D'Hondt system, which was agreed to be very particular for the situation that applies in Northern Ireland. I would be loath to do anything that would in any way diminish that potential. It is important that the Secretary of State and the British Prime Minister know we are interested and beyond that, we can demonstrate our interest by working with them to devise a way forward. It is not as simple as suggesting that one can tell people what they should do. No more than any of these other intractable problems, it requires a lot of discussion.

Deputy Ó Fearghaíl asked me whether I as Taoiseach could have a deeper engagement with the British Prime Minister. That is why the preparatory work is always done by senior civil servants who meet on a regular basis so that we get to a point where we can define what we consider might be a valid suggestion, for example, with regard to engaging with the parties. What I am saying here other than that I am willing to engage with the House on that basis? We will work with the parties here and in Northern Ireland and will be supportive of the process. We might not always get agreement but if we can take small steps in a number of different areas, it can build trust and understanding on the part of the citizens of Northern Ireland that we are serious about helping them to develop the economy and create a good infrastructure and opportunities for jobs and investment as a consequence.

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