Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

This House played an important role in bringing about the establishment of a committee under the chairmanship of the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív, to examine the possibility of securing official status for the Irish language in Europe. It might be helpful to invite the Minister to the House to update Members on the current position. We should also invite the Minister for Foreign Affairs or the Taoiseach to the House to discuss the situation in Northern Ireland. In recent days, the Taoiseach made a fundamental pronouncement on the two precepts that are required to advance the Good Friday Agreement. One is decommissioning and the other is the veto mentality of some sections of the Unionist community in implementing the agreement. This is a good time to have such a debate. Finally, in my contribution in support of a call for a debate on human rights last week, I said the island of Ireland should be part of that debate.