Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá fhios agam. We need to celebrate peace on the streets as well as in the big houses and palaces. It needs to be felt in loyalist hinterlands and republican communities. It needs to be felt along the Border corridor. This is a journey and, uniquely, there is an all-island dimension to this, with Mr. Peter Robinson, Mr. McGuinness, an Uachtarán and the Taoiseach having been there. That is essential. Many times, when commentators in this State speak about the nation, they mean the Twenty-six Counties. When they speak about "nationally", they mean across the Twenty-six Counties and when they speak about Ireland, they mean the Twenty-six Counties. We need to think in an all-island way, and when I looked to frame this question, I wanted to do it in a way that considered the possibilities of which a Government here could avail.

The Taoiseach should forget about the British. What can the Government do to seize and build on these opportunities? There is a series of initiatives that could have a real impact on communities in the North and along the Border corridor. I am 100% sure the President and Sabina and all of our other representatives will do us proud this week. We should, however, consider the potential and possibilities beyond this week and build on them. Let us remind ourselves that it took 93 years to put this visit together. It did not take Martin McGuinness 93 years to do it, rather it took the State and the British Government 93 years to put it together. Does the Taoiseach agree that the real significance of this state visit will be realised in a lasting way only if we continue to build the peace, transform and complete the journey we are all on?

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