Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach has been saying that since time immemorial but has not brought forward initiatives or ideas. He arrived in March and we are discussing it now.

The Taoiseach indicated in his reply that the global Clinton initiative, the work in Africa and the Ukraine were among the main items to be discussed. The international dimension to Northern Ireland, and the interest and commitment of the United States, has always been an important one. President Clinton and the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, have had a lifelong and abiding interest in the Irish peace process, the relationship between Ireland and Great Britain, and the development of the Good Friday Agreement. Central to that is political recognition of the primacy of the institutions created under the Good Friday Agreement. I do not say this in a partisan way but as a statement of fact. There is a sense of drift and political leaders in Northern Ireland seem to think they can pick and choose whether to support an institution. If the PSNI takes a decision that Sinn Féin does not like, it can protest outside the police station and ring the British Prime Minister and say that if this person, who is a member of Sinn Féin, is not released it may not support policing in the future. Sinn Féin also talks about dark forces in the police. It sends a signal that, although there has been a transformation in policing as per the Patten report and the introduction of policing boards, which everyone bought into it, members of the policing board can turn up outside the police stations protesting decisions, such as in the case of Padraic Wilson, who was arrested a year ago. I think that is wrong. Likewise, the First Minister withdrawing from a North-South Ministerial Council meeting, on the basis of a decision by an independent parades commission, is wrong and sends a mixed signal to the public. Privately the leaders may have disagreements and may not like it but if they are not accepting of the institutions created it sends a worrying signal. Ultimately, it cumulatively undermines political stability. I do not know whether the Taoiseach spoke to the First Minister in respect of the decision to cancel it and to pull out of the meeting. The Taoiseach was leading the Irish Government at that meeting when there was summary withdrawal of Unionist Ministers, which is unacceptable. It is an agreed institution under the Good Friday Agreement and is provided for in legislation. It is not on that there should be an almost cavalier approach to a decision that the Irish Government had nothing to do with. I do not know if the Taoiseach has had a discussion with the First Minister.

Does the Taoiseach agree that this saps the international dimension and that such behaviour can sap the continued engagement by people outside? They want to wish the process well but responsibility must be a two-way process. We can call on President Clinton to use his good offices to help and we have done so time and time again, to help the process but there must be a responsibility here and in the North in terms of that relationship, particularly in respect of those who have consistently supported the process, such as the European Union, the United States or the other international actors who have been of assistance to the process and to both Governments.

I am interested in the content of the discussion on Ukraine. Did President Clinton have any perspective on the Russian approach to Ukraine and the need for the West to look at alternative energy supplies? Increasingly, energy is being used as a political leveraging tool by Russia to turn on and turn off according to its geopolitical agenda. Did President Clinton reference the modus operandiof President Putin to get his own way by dismissing all known democratic conventions in terms of the partitioning of Ukraine?

The Taoiseach mentioned the partnership between Ireland, particularly Irish Aid, and the Clinton initiative and his work in regard to AIDS in Africa. Significant success occurred in reducing and treating, through use of retroviral and other effective medicines, the incident and impact of AIDS on communities across Africa. It is a good illustration of the genuine partnerships that can develop between Governments and the Clinton initiative in terms of sustainability in Africa. I am interested to hear President Clinton's perspective on how that is working now.

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