Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister to the House. I recognise the importance of this legislation which derives from the agreement last April between the British and Irish Governments and the Joint Declaration in an effort to break the impasse which led to suspension in October 2002 and to repair the tried mechanisms which would enable trust to be repaired. Unfortunately that agreement in April did not achieve the intended effect of getting the institutions restarted nor, unfortunately, did more recent attempts. The Governments have faced these situations on a number of occasions since the Good Friday Agreement was signed and have to persevere until the obstacle is overcome, which I have no doubt that will happen sooner or later.

Last April I would have had mixed feelings about this commission. It was established in a particular political context which has now changed. It tried to encourage the Unionists and others back into the institutions, with the Unionists seeking definite sanctions which would not be entirely dependent on the British Government. This independent commission, which in theory would be free of politics, would establish the facts, come to a judgment, and suggest an appropriate sanction, which would then fall to the parties in the Assembly and eventually, by default, to the British Government.