Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

There was unanimous agreement to this in the consultations with the participating parties and groups, reflecting the universal respect for the effectiveness, independence and commitment shown by Senator Hayes in his role as chairman of the National Forum on Europe since October 2001. That forum is ongoing.

On 14 October both Governments issued a joint statement expressing our disappointment at the suspension of the Assembly. The Government regrets that the devolved Government had to be suspended. At the same time we made it clear that the exclusion of Sinn Féin from the Executive, as some had sought, was not something we would support.

The joint statement was a clear expression of our commitment to the Agreement and to its full implementation. In the period since suspension, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen, and I have been working closely with the Prime Minister, Mr. Blair, the former Secretary of State, Dr. John Reid, his successor, Paul Murphy, and the parties to crystallise the issues and chart a way forward. I pay tribute to the work of Dr. Reid and again wish Paul Murphy well in his new role.

The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference met on 22 October under the joint chairmanship of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen, and the Secretary of State, Dr. Reid. The conference reviewed political developments and expressed the determination of both Governments to implement the Agreement and to work to achieve the restoration of the devolved institutions.

Both I and the Prime Minister, Mr. Blair, with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, have engaged in bilateral discussions with the parties, and tomorrow the Secretary of State and the Minister, Deputy Cowen, will co-chair multi-party talks in Belfast. Both Governments have listened with great care to what the parties have had to say, and there is a clear understanding that we have to work together to overcome the difficult challenges that lie ahead.

The issues are clear. They centre on the questions of trust and confidence. As always in Northern Ireland, there is work to be done on all sides. As in the past, the Government will be an active and constructive partner in the process. It would be wrong for all parties who are committed to the Agreement not to dedicate themselves fully to meeting the challenges that lie ahead.

A core strength has been the partnership between both Governments. We have demonstrated in recent weeks that we are determined to work closely together as we have always done at all critical stages in the process. This will be very important in the weeks and months ahead.