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

I thank the Deputy for the points he has made. Last week at the three-day event on the Good Friday Agreement a significant dinner was hosted by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland involving all those who participated in the agreement, but also many community groups and representatives of all the political parties. That gave me an opportunity to informally talk to all the leaders of the Northern Ireland political parties as well as the Secretary of State. Contacts, discussions and assessments are continuing, especially within the DUP. The party engaged in a consultation process with broader unionism and that has concluded. I have said repeatedly that I am very clear that when an election happens in a democracy, it should be followed by the establishment of a parliament or an assembly and then the formation of a government. That is what happens in all normal democratic situations after elections and it is not acceptable that the people of Northern Ireland are being denied the reconvening of the Assembly and the formation of an Executive. In those discussions and at the conference, no door was closed to the prospect of reopening the institutions.

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