Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

On behalf of Fine Gael, I welcome the Taoiseach to the Seanad and commend and thank him for his remarks today. It is significant that he chose to make these remarks, particularly at this difficult time for the peace process when we move forward with hope to the new round of talks that will start tomorrow.

It is right, as the Taoiseach said, that other parts of the Agreement should continue, specifically the North-South dimension. Next week Fine Gael will facilitate the swift passage of emergency legislation to ensure the North-South Ministerial Council and the Implementation Bodies can continue their work. It is important, too, that the British-Irish Council can continue its work because it would send a positive signal in terms of east-west relations.

I join the Taoiseach in paying tribute to Senator Maurice Hayes on his appointment as chairman of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation. It is an honour for the House that he was chosen for the role. I commend him for his work and look forward to working with him. I also congratulate the Senators newly appointed to the British-Irish Interparliamentary Body which will meet in Manchester over the coming weekend and early next week.

Both Governments face a difficult task in putting the process back together. They are attempting to use their offices and authority and the mandate or template of the Agreement to ensure it works again. All of us have an obligation to support both Governments in this important work. Fine Gael will continue to support all strands of the process in a beneficial way.

It is now decision time for the parties at the centre of the peace process, Nationalists, republicans and Unionists – the pro-Agreement parties. They must decide whether they want to make the Agreement work. Ultimately, the decision is theirs and it does not really matter what persuasion comes from Westminster or Dublin.

The two issues that must be addressed for confidence to be restored in Northern Ireland and the Republic are ones that have bedevilled the process since it was initiated. They are the issue of illegally held arms and that of the continuation of paramilitary parties. It is essential these issues are dealt with once and for all. It has been only at part of the process where there has been a dilemma on these issues that progress has been made. I ask the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs to keep this in mind.