Alex White (Labour)

Mainly thanks to Senator Mary White who has taken up a good minute and a half of it.

The economic crisis changes the parameters of the debate. I note the Minister's statement that "the most immediate challenges facing Northern Ireland are not issues which divide people along Nationalist and Unionist lines". He is correct in this regard. The challenges are much greater, and the political parties in the North are not particularly well equipped to deal with differences on economic questions. We have the same problem in this part of the country. The problem with our party political configuration in the South is the polar opposite of that in the North.

That point was made by James Connolly 100 years ago.