Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Last Friday, I met with Dr. Richard Haass in Dublin ahead of the planned resumption of the Northern Ireland party leaders’ talks. Dr. Haass also met with British Prime Minister, David Cameron, and with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers, last week. Under Dr. Haass’s chairmanship of the Panel of Parties talks, the Northern Ireland parties made enormous progress in seeking an agreed approach to dealing with flags, parades and the past. Richard Haass and Meghan O’Sullivan consulted widely across society in Northern Ireland last year and took back to the table a clear message from the people that they want to see the party leaders finding new, comprehensive and credible ways of dealing with legacy issues.

We have seen on numerous occasions in recent weeks that the legacy of the past has seriously disrupted political and community life in Northern Ireland. A lack of agreement or progress within the talks process would be an unhelpful backdrop to the approaching marching season. As I have said repeatedly, there is a window of opportunity between now and the summer recess for the party leaders to reach an agreement on these contentious issues. I urge the party leaders to use this time well. They need to set an early date to meet. Procrastination will not make the job any easier. The British and US governments agree that there is a need for renewed urgency by the parties, with the support of the governments, to make real progress.

I agree with Dr. Haass’s assessment that there is deep and wide public support for these issues to be dealt with in a comprehensive way. I have perceived this at first hand during my visits to the North. As Dr. Haass said following his meetings in London and Dublin, both governments see the opportunity and necessity of making progress.

There is broad agreement among the Northern Ireland parties on the basic architecture for moving forward on each issue. There needs to be progress now in closing any gaps between the parties in terms of the basic principles of each issue and for developing the practical mechanisms and timeframe for implementation.

It is in the best interests of Northern Ireland that agreement be reached now. I will be meeting with the British Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, in Dublin tomorrow. There is a shared expectation across both Governments that after the elections we will see progress.

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