Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Such attacks by so-called dissident republicans do not represent the democratic will of the people on this island. They offer nothing but pain and suffering to the people. The best response to give to such persons is to complete the devolution of policing and justice powers to secure the stability of the democratic institutions and to show that politics is delivering for all the people of Northern Ireland. All the people of these islands greatly value what has been achieved in the North in recent years. They have no wish to see a return to the bad old days. It is the duty of all political leaders on this island to continue working together in trust and partnership to ensure we continue on the path of peace.

I pay tribute to my counterpart, the Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward. He and I have worked together to secure the devolution of policing and justice, not just for the past two weeks but for the past 18 months. His commitment has been extraordinary and I thank him for it.

On the proposed amendment to the motion, I have already set out our position on the North-South Consultative Forum. On reports to the Seanad on the work of the North-South Ministerial Council, I and my colleagues in the Government are always available to participate in the proceedings of Seanad Éireann and I very much welcome this discussion. I agree with the House fully on the importance of discussing the North-South Ministerial Council and North-South issues generally in the Oireachtas. The support of elected representatives is essential to ensure broad public understanding of our efforts to promote all-island approaches and deliver shared services in Border areas. That view has been articulated by Senators in this debate. Senator Keaveney put it graphically in terms of the multiple heads and tails we each thought the other had.

One should never underestimate the importance of shared experience and meeting people. Before I was a Minister, as a back bench Deputy I was a member of the British-Irish Association and attended conferences in Cambridge and Oxford every year. I met politicians from different backgrounds in the North. I had a very interesting experience in 1992 when a group of Deputies and Senators travelled to Ballycastle to meet Unionist politicians, including David Irvine, Billy Hutchinson and the McGimpsey brothers, whom I met before. I would never understate the influence the encounter had on me in terms of understanding the perspective of Unionist politicians, where they were coming from and their ability to understand where we were coming from. The more continued collaboration and engagement we have, the better because it comes in useful. It came in useful for me during the two weeks I spent in Hillsborough and I have maintained that level of engagement and contact throughout my life in politics. It is important that all public representatives do likewise because one never knows the hour when it will become useful. We have to keep working at all levels within the community.

On the North-South situation, I was happy to have had the opportunity to brief members of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement last July on the discussions which had taken place at the NSMC plenary meeting on 6 July. As I said on that occasion, I would be glad to address the joint committee after each NSMC plenary meeting at the convenience of the committee. It is also open to committees to invite my ministerial colleagues to discuss NSMC activities in their areas of responsibility. North-South issues have also been the subject of useful debate on the Adjournment of the House. It is open to the Seanad to discuss any aspect of North-South co-operation, including meetings of the NSMC.

I am genuinely taken by the very fine contributions of the Members of the House to the debate which ranged from the importance of music, culture and the arts to better relationships between North and South and communities. Senator Keaveney, with her musical background, has a very clear commitment to that and I value the reports she has prepared and is currently preparing. Senator Ó Murchú outlined a fascinating exchange between members of the Orange Order and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, which is the kind of engagement which makes a difference. The contribution of Senator Quinn is important, as he reminded us that the further south one goes, the more partitionist one can become. I was uncomfortable with the discussion-----