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

First, I intended to say in response to Deputy Calleary that I, too, would like to extend the condolences of the Government to every US citizen in Ireland and of course to the families mourning this afternoon after the extraordinary tragedy of yesterday where 17, predominantly young, people and children lost their lives in yet another shooting. I hope and expect that the House will join me in that expression of sympathy.

Yesterday was a surprising and very disappointing development in Stormont. We and the British Government were not expecting the DUP to make the statement it did. I do not think Sinn Féin was expecting that either. That said, it is important to say that the past eight months, particularly the past four weeks, have been a period when the two largest parties in Northern Ireland have been making significant progress to try to find accommodation with each other. I believe that last Friday we were very close to a final deal that undoubtedly required further discussion on its presentation and description this week, but the basis of that deal was there. I recognise the willingness of parties to try to compromise and to accommodate each other for the sake of Northern Ireland and for the sake of getting a devolved institution back up and running, which is what everybody and all the parties in Northern Ireland, including the DUP, have said repeatedly they want as the best form of governance. We have spent a great deal of time together trying to bring this about.

Some of the commentary this morning has been unhelpful, in particular from the Fianna Fáil leader who does not seem to understand what has been going on in Northern Ireland.

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