Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leader for arranging this very important debate. I spent most of my childhood hearing about the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Since the Good Friday Agreement life has changed immeasurably for the better. I have spoken to members in Northern Ireland about this issue and they reliably tell me that the peace process is on life support.

I have reservations about the DUP taking the stance its members did on the basis of one police statement. That said, there are serious issues of trust at stake and I urge the Minister to ask the Taoiseach to commit himself fully to getting the Executive and the Assembly at Stormont up and running again. What could be more important to our island than peace? That is all we want - peace and stability. They cannot be put at stake. The suspension of talks or the Assembly would only serve one purpose - the needs of extremists. That is something to which we do not want to go back.

I have reservations about the lack of trust that has crept into the situation in Northern Ireland on issues such as welfare reform. As I understand it, Mr. Martin McGuinness had committed himself to a Second Stage Reading, but when the Ard Chomhairle of Sinn Féin met in the South, with one eye on the forthcoming general election here, the entire tone in Northern Ireland changed. Naturally, I would be very cynical about this. Criminality has been ongoing, but there have been no arrests for up to ten years. It would be outrageous if people were turning a blind eye. Everybody has to wake up to this, as we do to the serious stories of abuse and the kangaroo courts of the IRA. There is a continuum of violence.

As for solutions, the Taoiseach and Mr. Cameron must show leadership. If the Taoiseach wants to show that he is a statesman before this term in government expires, this is the way to do it rather than through cheap electioneering, for which there is no need. That is what everybody expects. That is the micro stuff; this is the macro picture for the island. As the Irish and British Governments are co-guarantors of the peace process, let us, please, measure up. There must be arrests for engaging in criminal activitiy and we need an independent monitoring commission, ideally to be chaired by an American diplomat.There would be a measure of verification and proof to show that all the actors in this situation are genuine: Sinn Fein, the DUP, the SDLP and whoever is managing the IRA. My overarching request to the Minister is that he talk to An Taoiseach about showing real leadership here. The Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan, is doing a wonderful job but this is time for leadership at An Taoiseach level and the same applies to Prime Minister David Cameron. I thank the Chair for allowing the time in the circumstances.