Brendan Ryan (Labour)

More than most people here, I tend to be impatient with progress on Northern Ireland. I share fully, however, the views Senator O'Toole has just expressed. The Taoiseach and the Prime Minister have devoted themselves effectively, efficiently and constructively to the process. The Taoiseach deserves to have that recognised. The House of the Oireachtas which has had a succession of citizens of Northern Ireland as Members during my time as a Senator should have an opportunity to hear formally from the Taoiseach or Minister for Foreign Affairs and hold a long, open-ended and serious debate on the matter. I have never accepted the idea that matters are too delicate to be discussed in a democratic forum. The House has plenty of evidence of people's capacity to deal with sensitive and serious issues sensitively and seriously. It is high time serious debate on events in Northern Ireland took place in both Houses.

In light of how forthcoming the Taoiseach and Prime Minister were at their press conference and of the accessibility of the two major political parties, it should be remembered that there is a participant in the process which is never cross-examined, never meets the press and issues sanctimonious press releases in the name of an organisation called Óglaigh na hÉireann. I recognise only one Óglaigh na hÉireann. I do not say this to point the finger, but to highlight the fact that there is one exception to everything we have said here which remains in secret. I share Senator Finucane's view. We must ask if a great deal more failed to be done and if it is true that the IRA was not prepared to quantify what it had in its possession. A succession of questions has arisen. I am inclined to accept the Tánaiste's view that photographs were not the only problem. The best thing we could hear now would be an explicit statement from the Government detailing what precisely is the problem.

It would be very useful to have a debate on incineration. There is a Minister from the constituency in which I reside who is opposed to incineration there. A Minister of State from the same constituency who is responsible for environmental protection is also opposed to incineration in the area. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government are also opposed to incineration in their constituencies. The Minister for Defence is opposed to incineration in the vicinity of a naval base, not on a constituency basis as it is far outside his, but in defence of the Naval Service. Whatever the merits and demerits of incineration, on which my views are available to be checked in the Official Report, we need to know the Government's position on waste management. The Government must adopt a position which applies everywhere rather than simply in places other than where a Minister happens to be.