Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

Would the Minister of State agree it is vitally important that the institutions are restored as quickly as possible to avoid difficulty, as Senator Hayes and the Leader of the House will agree was outlined in some detail at the recent British-Irish Interparliamentary Body discussions in Manchester on Monday? I understand the date of 1 May is set by legislation and cannot be changed by regulation other than by an amending Act. In the event of there being a vacuum right up to and including 1 May and if the voters of Northern Ireland are faced with the scenario that there has not been a prior restoration of the Assembly and a new Executive, there is a very real danger that the voters of Northern Ireland will not be asked to vote on what would be in normal circumstances the performance of an outgoing administration but rather will be asked to vote on extremes and there may be a polarisation in politics which would not be helpful for the long-term good of the people of all the island and of good relations between Britain and Ireland. This point was raised and debated by parliamentarians from both sides of the Irish Sea.

I am sure the Minister of State will avail of the opportunity to reiterate that there will be a redoubling of efforts to ensure that the Executive and the Assembly are restored well in advance of 1 May otherwise there is a very real danger that the centre will not hold and there may be a total polarisation of politics which will set back the process by decades.