Seanad debates

Wednesday, 16 October 2002

The issue of Northern Ireland is even more crucial than housing and it is important that we express our views. There is an extraordinary gap which needs to be looked at. We must look at what can be done from this perspective. The answer has never been the Assembly alone but, as the people of this island saw it, the Good Friday Agreement to which we must restate our commitment. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen, is coming to the House later. I ask the Leader to put it to him that we should now consider the re-establishment of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation which did not finish its business and did not deal with issues such as that of consent. It would be of some comfort to Unionists in Northern Ireland were they to see an absolute commitment to the principle of consent coming from the Oireachtas. I ask that these issues be put down for discussion and that at least one of them be taken tomorrow.

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