Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. I welcome the return to a policy of regular visits to Northern Ireland by taoisigh. The Taoiseach, however, would be well advised to understand that the visit two weeks ago was not nearly as historic as he seems to be believe. It is a decade since Uachtarán na hÉireann visited the Orange Order and there has been a 12 July event in Áras an Uachtaráin for quite some time.

What stood out from the visit was the lack of hard substance in terms of the urgent crisis concerning the political, economic and social future of Northern Ireland. It is 520 days since the Executive was collapsed and the assembly suspended, but there is not the slightest sign of movement. Alarmingly, Northern Ireland remains with no voice in the Brexit discussions, with the assembly denied even the basic right to make a protest similar to that of the Scottish Parliament, which is doing a great deal of good work, against London's catastrophic policies.

The British Government has refused to re-establish the intergovernmental arrangements required in these circumstances. The Taoiseach might update me in that regard on his engagement with the British Prime Minister. The parties are not talking and neither of the heads of the two Governments has yet had even one day of inter-party negotiations. In the circumstances, it is surprising how little the Taoiseach appears to have had to say in recent times, including on this visit. Perhaps it is his policy to leave it to others. Is something going on, on which the media have yet to be briefed by the Taoiseach's normally hyperactive briefing staff?

As the Taoiseach knows, there was some surprise that, in visiting Féile, he had decided that it was not necessary to make any comment on attempts to distort history and give false equivalence to illegitimate campaigns which had been waged in the face of the opposition of the people. Was that a deliberate decision on his part or an oversight? It is an important issue. There has been an attempt for quite some time to shove a particular narrative of Irish history down everybody's throat with reference to the campaign of violence that continued for 30 years. Many innocent people were murdered and there were many unacceptable atrocities, yet some of the events were celebrated at Féile. It is an ongoing narrative led by Sinn Féin which needs to be challenged on every occasion. They are atrocities about which we all know and we cannot allow a distorted narrative to emerge which should be challenged. Perhaps it has something to do with the Taoiseach's satisfaction with the new electoral alliance with Sinn Féin which he recently roadtested in the Seanad elections.

I have not been able to find any copy of the Taoiseach's script at the launch of Féile. Will he explain why that is the case? Other remarks he made on the day are freely available but not this particular script. Is there a reason for it?

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