Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am doing everything I can to facilitate a process to allow an accommodation between the two largest parties, and also engagement and involvement on the part of the other three parties, to try to get a fully inclusive Executive up and running again and making decisions for people in Northern Ireland. That is what everybody wants. It is a difficult political exercise because there were two very divisive elections, in the spring and summer of last year. I reassure people, however, that progress has been made over the past six or eight months, although that is often not covered. There is still work to do, however. There is a new Secretary of State in Northern Ireland who, like her predecessor, is absolutely determined to work with me and all the political parties to achieve what I have outlined. Those efforts will intensify in the coming days.

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