Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Is ceart agus is cóir go bhfuil an Dáil ag tabhairt ómóis don iar-Thaoiseach Albert Reynolds, fear a bhí lárnach sa tsíocháin ar an oileán beag seo. Tá mé ag smaoineamh fosta faoi fear eile, Ian Paisley, a fuair bás an tseachtain seo caite. Táimid ag smaoineamh faoina theaghlach fosta.

It is poignant that Albert Reynolds's funeral took place just days before the 20th anniversary of the ground-breaking IRA cessation. That decision by the IRA leadership resulted in enormous changes and had profound effects on politics in Ireland and the relationship between Ireland and Britain, but much of the work done to bring about that opportunity was carried out away from the public eye and is often now forgotten. People remember the political highs of the past two decades. We had the Good Friday Agreement, the St. Andrews Agreement, the Hillsborough agreements and the decision by the late Ian Paisley to share power with republicans and his term of office with Mr. Martin McGuinness, but none of these changes would have been brought about and the peace process would not have been advanced in the way it was without the risk-laden work undertaken by Albert Reynolds, Fr. Alex Reid and Fr. Des Wilson, Mr. John Hume, Mr. Martin Mansergh, the Sinn Féin leadership and others before the 1994 cessation, including brave citizens in civic unionism, the Protestant churches and the community sector.

The Ireland of the early 1990s was a different place. Successive Irish Governments, including the so-called constitutional republicans, worked with successive British Governments in pursuing an entirely negative agenda which merely fed the cycle of discrimination, censorship, repression, resistance and conflict. Albert brought a different approach. He was persuaded by the potential of my dialogue with Mr. John Hume and supported it when others sought to undermine it. He struck up a dialogue of his own with the then British Prime Minister, Mr. John Major, and, despite sigificant opposition both inside and outside the British Parliament, the Downing Street Declaration was secured.

Bhí cairdeas an-mhaith idir mé féin agus Albert. Bhí sé oscailte mar dhuine. Chuir sé agus a bhean chéile, Kathleen, fearadh na fáilte romham ina dteach. Bhí siad an-fhlaithiúil agus díreach liom.

Albert was a doer. He was not satisfied with dialogue without an aim, without objectives, without concrete outcomes. Is cinnte dearfach go raibh deacrachtaí eadrainn, ach bhí sé an-dáiríre faoi shíocháin a bhunú. He also knew the North much better than he was given credit for. Some of this went back to his showband days and the work he did across the Six Counties with people from both the Unionist and broadly Nationalist communities who had one thing in common, they liked dances and the showbands.

Under Fr. Reid's guidance, Albert also opened up dialogue with loyalist paramilitaries and their representatives - a very significant initiative - in order that they could come to have a sense of ownership and belonging in dealing with the Taoiseach as opposed to British Ministers. It is a testament to his ability to get things done that, though one of the shortest serving Taoisigh, he achieved so much in such a short space of time. A lot of this was possible because he was an outsider. He was not part of the Fianna Fáil establishment or the Irish establishment; in fact, many of them looked down their noses at him and the same establishment was very partitionist - some policy makers remain so to this day.

Albert was removed from office well before Mr. Tony Blair's election in 1997 and the inclusive all-party negotiations which he recognised were necessary but which the Major Government failed to deliver. After his retirement he remained a firm supporter of the peace process. He was of particular assistance in advising us quietly on the side on how to deal with the Irish Government of the day, including the Fianna Fáil Government. He also developed a very warm personal relationship with Mr. Martin McGuinness. He acted on the North when it was needed and, as the political process faces into more difficulties, the Taoiseach - I say this fraternally and respectfully - could do well to emulate him. The current difficulty is not, as some would put it, that the problem parties need to have their heads knocked together by the Governments. I want less British Government involvement in Irish affairs, but both Governments have responsibilities - that is what Albert Reynolds recognised. His big job was to get Mr. John Major to start thinking about Ireland in a positive way. The Irish Government has a clear responsibility to ensure the British Government lives up to these responsibilities.

Ba mhaith liom comhbhrón ó chroí, ar mo shon agus ar son Sinn Féin, a dhéanamh le bean chéile Albert, Kathleen, lena leanaí agus le mórtheaghlach Reynolds. Kathleen was hugely supportive of Albert. At times Fr. Alex Reid must have driven her to distraction, but she was and remains a very sound, solid and strong woman.

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