Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising these important issues. The breadth of issues raised emphasises the great importance of having a framework within which each of these issues can be dealt with. What should be emphasised is that, individually, the leaders of each political party in the North of Ireland have stressed the support they have for creating such a framework and dealing with many legacy issues and many we are now grappling with, such as flags and parades.

As recently as 3 July, when the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade spoke to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and on 6 July, when the Taoiseach spoke to the Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron, the Irish Government continued to emphasise the need for the talks on the legacy issues to resume as soon as possible because we understand that these issues, while they may be in the past, have a decisive influence on where we are now.

I saw how the families who have suffered as a result of the incidents I mentioned, feel. It also influences the politics of the present. We all in this House, party or non-party, are united in wanting to see the stability and peace that have been secured in the North of Ireland and the progress the communities there have made, firmly stabilised. We also want to see further progress towards a brighter future for everybody in the North of Ireland and for the island of the whole. I thank the Senator for raising very important issues and I am available at any point to come in and update the Seanad on where these various matters stand.