Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I certainly agree that this is a serious matter and that, prior to Christmas, the discussion was about whether the institutions would survive. The opportunity for both Governments to become involved as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement together with the dedicated work of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Sherlock, the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister and the parties brought about the Stormont House Agreement.

I am interested to hear Deputy Adams say that the Deputy First Minister discovered that the DUP was not going to implement the agreement that was arrived at. It should also be noted that the Minister and Minister of State from this Government were not party to the detailed discussions about welfare reform that were an element of the agreement being arrived at. I am not sure how the Deputy First Minister discovered that the DUP intended to renege on the agreement if this is the case. Was it through a memorandum, comment or paper provided by the DUP saying that it intended to renege on the agreement?

With the British general election taking place early in May, there is an opportunity to work this out as mature politicians. The essence of politics is called into being here. This can only be dealt with by the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister who must explain to the other parties what this row is about. I would like to find out the nature of the discovery that the Deputy First Minister was able to make. How was he able to discover that the DUP suddenly intended at a certain point to renege on an agreement entered into in December? I agree with the Deputy that this should not have happened and can be rectified. It can only be rectified by the politicians hammering out what it is they agreed upon and being very clear about it in the interest of the people of Northern Ireland.

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