Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the state of the peace process in the aftermath of the Northern Bank robbery; his views on whether there is a realistic chance of the devolved institutions created under the Good Friday Agreement being restored prior to the Westminster elections of 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2779/05]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 128: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the nature of his discussions with British Secretary of State, Mr. Paul Murphy, MP, in Dublin on 17 January 2005; if he maintains the view that the Provisional IRA was responsible for the Northern Bank robbery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2778/05]

Seán Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the failure to reach agreement with parties in the North on the restoration of the Assembly and Executive, he has given further consideration to SDLP proposals for the appointment of civic administrators as an interim measure to restore the Assembly before a power-sharing Executive can be agreed between the parties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2780/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 109, 128 and 151 together.

I met the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. Paul Murphy, at Iveagh House on 17 January. This meeting was the first with the British Government since the PSNI Chief Constable, Mr. Hugh Orde, made public his assessment that the IRA was responsible for the December raid on the Northern Bank. Both Governments believe that the IRA was involved in this operation and that, as a consequence, the political process in Northern Ireland has suffered a serious setback. The meeting with the Secretary of State provided an opportunity to assess the serious political implications of the raid and to consider the major steps now required if trust and confidence are to be restored.

Together with the Taoiseach, I had a series of meetings last week with Sinn Féin, the UUP, the SDLP and the Alliance Party. In addition, the Taoiseach spoke by phone with Dr. Paisley. In our meeting with Sinn Féin, we emphasised the absolute necessity of achieving a definitive and demonstrable end to paramilitary and criminal activity. We stressed that ambivalence on this issue cannot be tolerated and allowed to further destabilise the process and that the Sinn Féin leadership should reflect on the matter.

Despite this recent setback, the objective of the Irish and British Governments remains the achievement of inclusive, partnership government in Northern Ireland. It is, however, difficult in the current context to set a time-scale for securing this objective. We have made it clear to all the parties that any positive ideas, which would help to restore confidence and achieve political engagement and momentum in the near term, will be considered. The various views and suggestions of the parties, including the SDLP's proposals on the appointment of civic administrators, are therefore being given careful consideration. In fact, the Taoiseach and I took the opportunity to raise the SDLP's proposals in our contacts with some of the other parties last week. In the final analysis, any political way forward must enjoy a wide measure of cross-community support and be consistent with the fundamental principles of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Taoiseach's meeting with Prime Minister Blair yesterday provided an initial opportunity to discuss possible options for political progress, including the various proposals received from the parties. In the coming weeks, we will continue our consultations with the British Government and the parties on finding a way forward.

Notwithstanding current difficulties, the two Governments have an obligation to advance the implementation of all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement, as endorsed by the people of this island. We are determined that the gains of recent years should not be jeopardised and are conscious of the need to avoid a prolonged fallow period. Accordingly, the Secretary of State and I will co-chair a meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference later this month in Dublin, which will seek to advance progress across a range of important areas.