Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire fá choinne an díospóireacht seo ar chúrsaí Tuaisceart na hÉireann agus an dóigh ina bhfuil idirdhealú á dhéanamh ar na deacrachtaí polaitiúla atá ann faoi láthair. Tá lúcháir orm go bhfuil an deis seo againn a leithéid de díospóireacht a bheith againn.

I welcome the Minister and want to add my tuppence worth to the debate. I listened in the office to the Minister's contribution in which he outlined that sensitive discussions were taking place. He said we should be aware of this and temper our remarks with that in mind. That is what I intend to do. However, there are matters that must be aired. I know that, depending on one's political persuasion, this may be seen as an opportunity to look at the issue of a united Ireland. However, that is a much more complex issue. Before we go to the end of that road or bóithrín, there are many issues to be addressed in the North. I say this as somebody who lived there for four years while attending university. I have strong links with the North of Ireland, through relatives, political links and sporting connections.

To say the position in Northern Ireland is dysfunctional would be an understatement. I know a number of school principals to whom I spoke over the summer. They do not even know what their budgets are from week to week. As a consequence, they cannot hire staff. Such a position is detrimental to people with special needs and so on and that is only in the education sphere. It goes right across the board into the health service and so on. We are looking at legacy matters that have been discussed, apart from the Irish language issue. It was my understanding that was agreed to at St. Andrew's, but now it is being left to the grown-ups at Stormont to try to deal with the baton they have been passed. Unfortunately, however, they are unable to do so. Has there been direct dialogue between the Minister or his officials and the Democratic Unionist Party on the Irish language issue?

There are other legacy matters to be dealt with, including the need to establish a truth commission to try to provide some solace for the families that lost loved ones during the Troubles, during which over 3,600 people were murdered, not to mention those who were maimed. One individual living in my constituency in County Donegal lost his wife during the Troubles because of collusion by the police force in Belfast which provided information for one of the Ulster Volunteer Force, UVF, brigades. It tried to shoot him at point blank range and shot his wife dead in August 1988. I raised the matter with the previous Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan, who was more than helpful in the matter. Such issues must be addressed and the electorate in the North is seeking answers to such questions. Not having an effective and working Executive at Stormont is disrespectful to the electorate in the North which is in a state of flux. If an agreement is not reached forthwith, there will be social and economic consequences for every community across the North. The Irish language is an important matter, so too are the people who are trying to get hospital appointments and whose kids are seeking approval to receive the help of special needs assistants. There are school principals waiting to have their budgets approved. There are, therefore, key issues that need to be addressed.

I appeal to both parties to get on with it and get the institutions up and running. We know that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. Brokenshire, has indicated that we are heading towards direct rule in the coming weeks if Sinn Féin and the DUP cannot come to an agreement. A serious coming together must happen. If there is not an opportunity for the two Governments to impose pressure on the DUP and Sinn Féin to agree to provide latitude to enable the institutions to come together, there will be an urgent need to have an independent broker, whether it be a special envoy from the United States or somebody else.

The deprivation indexes in the North are shocking. There are more multi-millionaires in Belfast than in many cities across England, Wales and Scotland - it is third on the list - and most of them are not Catholic. When one digs into the figures, in Belfast alone, 80% of the deprived population in Belfast alone, in economic terms, are Catholic. There is a serious need for the divvying up of the available resources for those who need them in the North. It is time those in Stormont got on with dealing with the real matters that affect people week in and week out. The posturing that has been ongoing since the election is not helping anyone. Sinn Féin is doing its utmost in that regard. The DUP must engage. Whatever needs to happen must happen. Direct rule would be an absolute disaster at a time when Brexit has been thrown into the equation as another factor.

There are many concerns and the Minister has a major task ahead of him. I wish him well in the discussions that will take place in the coming weeks.