Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I can. I was happy to attend the discussions that took place in Belfast on Thursday and Friday. It was the tenth week of discussions that had begun some time ago. The discussions, led on this side by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and his colleagues, were productive and constructive and were added to by the discussions that took place both in plenary session and with the individual parties around the table. Let us be clear. The position is that the particular circumstances in Northern Ireland have to take into account the legacy of the conflict period.

The Irish Government, time and again both now and in the past, has shown its interest in this through the PEACE and INTERREG funds and the reconciliation fund operated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The Executive and the Assembly in Northern Ireland requested responsibility to take on devolved government, and that was assigned to them. However, they have not been able to agree on how that should be done. The reason I had the privilege of attending with all of the members, including the British Prime Minister, was to continue to offer our support and assistance where that is possible. The Deputy knows this. He is the president of his party and according to political commentary everything must pass through him. Social security, child supports and pensions are devolved to Northern Ireland. Section 87 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 requires the Secretary of State with responsibility for social security and the equivalent Northern Ireland Minister to consult each other to secure a single system of social security, child support and pensions within the United Kingdom. The statement of funding principle makes it clear that the funding for the social security system is demand led and comes from the Treasury. It is a matter for the parties in Northern Ireland, who have had this responsibility devolved to them, to make that political decision, but they have not been able to make it.

The Deputy knows that if the Assembly and the Executive do not make that decision, the shortfall will come from the block grant. The case being made last week was for further moneys from the taxpayer to deal with this matter. However, that is a denial of the responsibility which the Executive and the Assembly demanded and were given. It appears that the majority of parties in Northern Ireland wish to get on with the business, but it is also clear that the Deputy has made a particular case as to why this should not be so. From a political point of view, responsibility was sought and was devolved, but it is not being accepted.

The Government will continue to be supportive in the way it has been, and that is a substantial amount over the next number of years. However, the British Government, in putting its cards on the table, has left aside almost £1 billion in extra spending power to the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly for dispersal throughout the North, provided that the political agreement in put in place on the papers that were there.

I made a specific issue of the Irish language. As the Deputy knows, the paper presented in Belfast included a paragraph on that.

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