Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and thank the parties opposite for their support for, and endorsement of, the Bill. The best any of us can do for the negotiations in the North is wish the parties well in their endeavours to find an agreement. It is in the interests of all Irish citizens, North and South, to find an agreement and I have no doubt that all parties will play a constructive role. I commend the previous Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan, on the many long hours and days he spent up North engaging with the parties in a constructive manner, and I have no doubt his replacement, the new Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, will learn from his example and continue that engagement.

I see this Bill as another fundamental building block in the ongoing process of peace on this island. It was appropriate that the Minister acknowledged the role our colleague, Senator Michael McDowell, played as Minister for Justice and Equality. Indeed, all Governments and Ministers for the past decade and a half have been constructive in their engagement to ensure the peace continues. It is a fragile peace and probably will be fragile for another couple of generations.

This Bill is part of the agreement. I wish the four designated appointed commissioners well. They have vast experience and it is an important job of work. Going from a paramilitary background to mainstream society brings its challenges and the Bill is about the State engaging in a positive way to ensure there is a framework in place to deal with it.

The Minister has outlined the 12 provisions of the Bill and it is fairly straightforward. This is our responsibility and the Oireachtas has a duty of care to ensure it passes without delay. The full agreement of this House is very welcome in this regard.