Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join with Senator Black in reflecting on a very important visit to Belfast over the past two days with the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. There are huge difficulties regarding legacy issues and we visited the Wave Trauma Centre and Relatives for Justice in that regard. It was absolutely wonderful to visit Coláiste Feirste, an Irish-language college in west Belfast, and see how important the Irish language has been to the nationalist community. We are in a very difficult situation whereby nothing is happening in Stormont. We met various groups and it was wonderful to meet the Lower Shankill Community Association.

However, having listened to the points of view expressed during the two-day visit, I fear that it will be very difficult to get an agreement in Northern Ireland between the two parties due to the interference of the media. A similar situation can sometimes be seen in this jurisdiction. One show I must mention in that regard is the BBC programme "The Nolan Show", presented by Stephen Nolan, on which there is a sectarian cockfight every morning. It will be very difficult for the two groups or political parties to reach agreement when everything is laid bare and facts are put out there by that programme in the morning. I understand that openness and transparency are necessary and that people must be informed but the various groupings with whom we met raised it as a significant issue that the parties need space and, unless that is given, there will be no progress. I am not saying what is right or wrong but, unfortunately, programmes such as that are unhelpful. A similar situation can sometimes be engendered by certain shows in the South. On many days, my phone rings at 2.30 p.m. and the caller tells me that a certain situation is awful and that they do not know what is happening. I am not saying we should shut down media outlets or anything like that but there should be reflection on the issue. The BBC is funded by British taxpayers and it is doing a huge disservice in getting agreement in the North, which all Members want, and Stormont back working again. It is time to reflect on the right thing to do in that regard.