Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

I join with Senator Brian Hayes in thanking the Taoiseach for attending the House at a very important time in our history. In the years to come, we will hopefully look back to read this debate and reflect upon the pivotal period of Irish history in which it happened. We must look forward as well as back. I compliment the Taoiseach on his qualities of patience, perseverance and, above all, persuasion over the past years, particularly over the past 12 months when there were many shrill voices to which he could have succumbed. Some of these voices had reasons for being so shrill when it appeared as if decommissioning was not about to happen. We all felt a great sense of wearinessand déjÀ vu and were left wondering when something would happen. In such a period, in what may be described as a lacuna, it is very easy to lose sight of the big picture, for which we were all striving, and to seek to speak shrilly to no effect.

We were very fortunate in having the patience and, particularly, the persuasion of the Taoiseach and in being able to listen to his words. We are very honoured — I know the Cathaoirleach will join me in this — in having people like Senator Martin Mansergh and Senator Maurice Hayes in the House. They will be worn out with the compliments because everybody who speaks will repeat them but it is the truth. We have been the recipients of their wisdom, careful words, caveats and deliberations. We continue to read Senator Mansergh's contributions very carefully. Last Saturday's edition of The Irish Times contained a very good article by him entitled "Let the Reality of Decommissioning Sink In".

In a way, I understand the long delay of Sinn Féin-IRA with regard to decommissioning. People will ask me why and say that there should have been no delay. There should not have been a regime of murder and maiming but we must remember that Sinn Féin-IRA had an enormous body of people to persuade. It would not be a matter of getting up one morning and saying that it would dump the arms. There would be far more mayhem if decommissioning had been advanced that way. Sinn Féin-IRA had disaffected republicans or republicans in particular situations and it had an enormous body of opinion to bring with it. If it did not succeed the entire effort would be have been aborted. It is not because Sinn Féin-IRA played the long game, although it did so earlier. It played the careful game at this juncture, which had to be done, otherwise the decommissioning process would have failed.

I strongly welcome the Taoiseach's certainty regarding the PSNI. From time to time, we are washed over with scéileanna about the PSNI. I believe it has proved itself to be competent, careful and of the highest order of public service, particularly in working through the reforms in the Patten report. There is also certainty about the killers of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe. I thank Members from the other side of the House who were strong and robust on this issue, which has been put to bed. I am sure that Mrs. McCabe, whom I heard recently on the radio, has faith in the Government's stand on this matter.

In the same way as I spoke about understanding how Sinn Féin-IRA had to bring its people along this path, I equally understand that the Reverend Ian Paisley could not simply come out the next morning and say that he believed the testimony of Reverend Harold Good and Fr. Alec Reid and that both men were very strong and principled people. This is where the Taoiseach's persuasive qualities come into play. Reverend Paisley also had to play a long game and persuade his people because he is now the head of the Unionist tradition in Northern Ireland through democratic means. When I heard the Taoiseach's kind remark that he understood the Unionists' point of view, it struck me that both bodies of people have to play a long game otherwise they would not have been able to be embracive.

If Wolfe Tone is around somewhere, he would smile at the fusion of Catholic, Protestant and dissenter in the union of Fr. Reid and Reverend Good in this process. They were united in the fruitful dispatches they made. The clear truth shone from General John de Chastelain, who is every inch a soldier, and the two reverend gentlemen. I very much welcome this and I believe we are all convinced by the very straight evidence they gave. We await the further reports of the Independent Monitoring Commission — one this month and the more important and definitive one in January 2006.

In his speech the Taoiseach said: "The Good Friday Agreement established the principle of consent and removed the South's territorial claim on the North." I appreciate that. It is so true. Consent is now an international characteristic that is built into many peace agreements and recognised as a principle dating back to the days of Woodrow Wilson and agreements made after the First World War. It is hugely important. I will welcome the day when we say and sing "A Nation Once Again", not based on territorial claims but on the principle of consent.