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

I think Deputy Durkan is correct that many people forget the enormous impact the Good Friday Agreement had at the time. I was a youngster when the Troubles started. I witnessed many atrocities, as we all did, on a regular basis with daily news bulletins and so on. When the breakthrough came ,when Albert Reynolds and John Major announced the Downing Street Declaration, it was something people never thought they would see. The violence went on for far too long. There is no question but that terrible atrocities were committed. There is a whole young generation that do not quite realise what went on before. The Deputy is correct on that. We have to take the opportunity of the 25th anniversary to try to reboot and pivot to the future.

As regards Deputy Moynihan's question about the avenues open to the Irish Government, at this stage the focus is on the restoration of the institutions. We are not speculating on what might happen if that is not done. We will have to deal with that when the time comes if that is the case but I am of the strong opinion that the Windsor Framework deals comprehensively with all the issues that were raised with us and others in respect of the operation of the protocol. It is a comprehensive agreement and it deals with all the issues that were raised.

Deputy Haughey asked about the reform of the institutions. My consistent position is that the election to the Assembly has to be vindicated in the form of the election of a First Minister and deputy First Minister, in accordance with what the majority decided, before any reform is contemplated. The institutions have to be established in line with the election. After that, I am open to looking at the next election in five years' time and how those institutions could be reformed to make sure there is a viable Government into the future that is effective and would operate on behalf of people. There has been too much stopping and starting since the agreement was initiated 25 years ago.

On Deputy O'Connor's question, at this stage there has been a lot of discussion and engagement. We have to allow the space for a decision around going back into the institutions but that is a decision the DUP will have to come to. It is under no illusions as to the views of all the political parties in the North, the Irish Government, the British Government and the European Union or what the desire of the international community is but it is further considering some of these issues.

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