Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I share with Deputy Micheál Martin a deep concern that the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive are still not functioning. In order for them to function the two largest parties, namely, the DUP and Sinn Féin, will need to build trust and they will need to compromise. I know there were compromises but ultimately trust needs to be built. I have been involved in two coalitions and I know that neither building trust nor compromise is easy but it is what the two parties have to do and the two Governments as co-guarantors will assist them in any way possible to bring about the compromise and trust building that is necessary.

When I was in Northern Ireland I remarked on the fact that there were quite a number of billboards. There was a billboard campaign by the Simon Community telling us about the 100,000 people who it says are homeless in Northern Ireland currently. I read the Irish Newslast week. It commented on the fact that the Bengoa report, the ten-year plan to reform, modernise and save the NHS in Northern Ireland, has not been implemented. The Irish Newscalled on politicians in particular to make sure there was a Minister for health in Northern Ireland to do that. There are major issues in Northern Ireland similar to the issues we have here around housing and homelessness and also a health service that is struggling. The failure of politicians to take responsibility for those issues in Northern Ireland cannot go without comment.

We have requested a meeting but we do not have a date yet for the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. I will be attending the BIC, British-Irish Council, in Guernsey on Friday where I will have an opportunity to have bilateral meetings with First Minister Sturgeon and First Minister Jones and I will also be speaking to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, David Lidington, about that particular issue.

I will ask my office to send Deputy Micheál Martin a script of my speech at Féile an Phobail. It is not controversial. I am sure it was recorded so if it had been controversial it would have been reported by now. There is no need for any new conspiracy theories from the office of the Fianna Fáil leader. I am sure it was just an oversight the fact that the particular speech is not on a website.

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