Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister and compliment him on his efforts to bring progress and peace to Northern Ireland. I also extend my compliments to his colleagues in Government and to all those concerned on both sides of the Border and of the Irish Sea.

This House and the Lower House have been debating the issue of Northern Ireland and the violence that has arisen of foot of sectarianism on our island for 80 years. Let us hope that, whichever way one wishes to put it, we are somewhere near the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end.

Senators Mooney, Lydon and I have been Members of the Oireachtas for the past 20 years. On each occasion we debated political issues relating to Northern Ireland during the first seven years — from 1987 to 1994 — of my career in the Oireachtas, it was usually as a result of the perpetration of some outrage in that jurisdiction. We spent our time discussing ways of how we might more strongly condemn whatever dreadful event had occurred.

The ceasefire of 1994 brought about a great new dawn. Looking back, people perhaps expected too much too soon with the advent of that ceasefire. During the past 30 years, Members on all sides have expressed disappointment, regret and doubt regarding the slow pace of political movement and change in Northern Ireland. However, 20, 30 or 40 years from now, people will look back and say perhaps that it was proper and correct, and in some respects useful, that change took so long to come about. What we have been trying to achieve is the changing of people's mindsets, North and South. We have tried to change the mindset of unionism towards nationalism and vice versa.

It was perhaps unrealistic to expect that the IRA ceasefire of 1994 would bring about dramatic changes overnight. It helped to create the space and conditions to facilitate change. From 1994 until last week, however, there were mountains to move. Patience and determination were required in order to bring us to where we now stand. The pieces are beginning to fall into place and last week's decision on the part of Dr. Paisley and Gerry Adams to reach agreement represents a major and welcome step forward. However, there remain many more steps to take.

It is important that all sides involved in making recent progress should be magnanimous in acknowledging what was achieved by people who are no longer centre stage in the political arena. Ian Paisley and his party would not be where they are today if great strides had not been made by David Trimble and his colleagues in the Official Unionist Party. On the other side of the political fence, Martin McGuinness would not be in a position to become Deputy First Minister if John Hume had not been so courageous and if the SDLP had not been so persistent in its demands that democracy and peaceful progress should always be preferred to the more militarised options being put forward by Sinn Féin at the time.

I hope the so-called — I do not mean that in a negative sense — political winners of the past six months will be magnanimous because there are more than two parties in Northern politics. If we are to secure long-term progress, not only in regard to getting the Assembly and Executive up and running but also in achieving cross-party consensus and progress, the involvement of all political parties in Northern Ireland will be required. We must keep that to the fore in our thoughts.

In his closing comments, the Minister referred to the important issue of victims. Every country which has succeeded in turning from violence to democracy or has experienced people who were formerly involved in violence taking on political roles has tried to address this issue. South Africa developed a truth and reconciliation process and I am sure examples from other countries can also be considered. It is important, however, that we address the issue of victims and their suffering on both sides of the divide. It is in the interest of the entire body politic of this island to put in place a structure for people who have suffered losses, including those who were affected 25 or 30 years ago and still feel the pain.

In recent days, several DUP members have found the fence too high to jump, which is understandable to a certain extent. A similar issue arose ten years ago for Sinn Féin, when the party split for the umpteenth time between those who wanted to progress politically and those who wanted to remain on a fundamentalist footing. From the point of view of victims, some of type of commission or forum is needed which would allow their stories to be told. While I am aware the Minister is considering that issue and that no simple formula exists, it is important to make progress in that regard.

I look forward over the coming crucial months and years to seeing the Assembly at work and the people of Northern Ireland taking greater charge of their own destiny. It is truly historic that, after 80 years of political conflict and 30 years of violence and terrorism, we have reached the stage where the vast majority of people accept that progress can only be made through politics. Generations of politicians, from Jack Lynch and Liam Cosgrave in the Sunningdale Agreement, through Garret Fitzgerald and Peter Barry in the Good Friday Agreement to the present Taoiseach and Minister for Foreign Affairs, have played an important role in this. I thank them for their work and hope the coming years will be exciting for all parts of this island.