Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I note the Tánaiste's comment that the Government wants to be involved as closely as possible. We want to see a conclusion as rapidly as possible. We are into the marching season again. There are conflicting reports from different parts of the North of Ireland in regard to trouble in some places and relative calm in other areas that have seen difficulties in the past. We hope that the next month or more passes by peacefully but there are those festering sores. We need to get these issues off the table and resolved.

I appeal to the Tánaiste to ensure that he brings the influence and persuasion of his office and that of the Government to really be a participant - a participant in inverted commas, if he is not in there in the modus operandi of the talks at present - because I honestly believe, as I have said here on many occasions, that the influence and power of the two sovereign Governments are needed to bring these talks to a successful conclusion. As I said earlier, they are not about issues that have arisen since the devolution of powers. They are about issues that predate the devolution of powers and issues that will place responsibilities on both Governments to enact measures to deal with the past when a successful conclusion is achieved, and I hope that is achieved sooner rather later.

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