Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá mé sásta go bhfuil an díospóireacht seo ag dul ar aghaidh inniu. Ba mhaith liom dea-mhéin a chur in iúl do Mr. Martin McGuinness. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle will know that since the good people of Louth and east Meath sent me into this Chamber, I have been asking for regular, structured debates on the North as part of the normal business of the Dáil. I have made the case that we should be discussing these issues consistently and in an informed way, not only during controversies and crises. I have formally raised this with the Ceann Comhairle and I understand he has referred it to the Business Committee. I hope that other parties and Independents will support this proposition.

Since the Good Friday Agreement was achieved in April 1998, Sinn Féin has kept faith with the political institutions and all elements of that agreement and subsequent agreements. In 2007, Sinn Féin and the DUP agreed to go into the power-sharing institutions together. Le deich mbliana ó shin, tháinig Martin McGuiness agus foireann Shinn Féin sa Tionóil slán as sraith fhada de ghéarchéimeanna.

Much good work has been done by the Executive and the assembly and significant progress has been made on many issues. On some fundamental issues, however, progress has been prevented or delayed by the DUP or the two Governments. Is beag an dul chun cinn a rinneadh maidir le cúrsaí eile. Even before the emergence of the renewable heat incentive scandal, the behaviour of the DUP had led to a considerable lack of public confidence in the institutions. The RHI scheme and the serious allegations from a former DUP Minister at the then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment of corruption, fraud and bad governance also brought the political institutions to a defining point. In fact, to a tipping point.

Neither the public nor Sinn Féin could continue to countenance the manner in which the DUP conducted business within the Executive and the assembly. No other administration could tolerate such a scandal. Spokespersons for the other parties in the Dáil, and particularly Fianna Fáil's leader, are saying that this is an unnecessary election. Deputy Micheál Martin blames Sinn Féin and the DUP for everything negative that has happened. He stated: "Whatever the reasons for the cause of this election". That says more about his leadership's historical tolerance of corruption than anything else.

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