Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact that Prime Minister David Cameron is meeting the Sinn Féin leadership today. The Taoiseach and I met the Sinn Féin leadership last week and have continued to maintain close contact with all the parties. I do not accept that this is an issue which should be driven by anyone for party political reasons. There are agreements in place, including the Good Friday Agreement and the agreements which succeeded it, that were voted on by the people of this country. There are international agreements - in effect, treaties - between the State and the United Kingdom on Northern Ireland. What is required to be done is to give effect to the agreements, implement them and see that they work in the interests of the people of Northern Ireland and both these islands. This is not an issue with which anyone on this or the neighbouring island should play party politics. These are agreements between Governments.

A settlement was achieved and there is work to be done to implement it. Part of that is the talks that are now to take place among party leaders within Northern Ireland, supported by the two Governments. Another part of it is the North-South dimension. There will be a meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council in Dublin on Friday. We have practical issues which we must discuss. The issue should not be reduced to one of what is to the party advantage of any political party. It should be worked on the basis of what is in the best interests of the peace process itself and the people of these two islands.

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