Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dermot Ahern, for his thoughtful and important statement. There is no doubt that a climate of fear and distrust has existed. I largely concur with everything that has been said by other speakers. Members of this House, and all true democrats, are totally and exclusively committed to democratic means in politics. We all feel frustrated as, in the words of the Taoiseach, we came within a whisker of final completion and resolution.

Like the Government, I disagreed with Prime Minister Blair's call regarding the election. In our political lives, while we may not always relish an election and may not want to face up to the results, I do not think we can turn the clock back – we are either constitutional democrats or we are not. Perhaps the situation in Northern Ireland is somewhat different.

The Joint Declaration is a huge body of work and we all welcome it. As has been said by the Minister, there is much in it that is not conditional on action by others and I welcome this. Great credit is due to the two Governments, despite our differences with the British Government regarding its call on the election. It is great that the Governments have met so quickly and so fruitfully. As democrats we are committed to ongoing dialogue as the only way forward. Hopefully the Governments will have immediate talks with the pro-Agreement parties in the North. They will get on with much that can be done.

Peace requires the total end of all paramilitarism and we need to see demilitarisation as well. I hope that among the items on which the Governments can agree, and on which the British Government can act immediately, would be the removal of the remaining spy posts and watchtowers, to which Senator O'Brien referred, that dominate the countryside of south Armagh. The presence of these installations has disturbed the playing of national games and other sports fixtures in that part of the country.