Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 101: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, further to paragraph 11 of the St. Andrews Agreement, he will clarify what will happen should any of the parties in Northern Ireland default on their commitments following restoration; the actions Governments will take in this scenario; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34506/06]

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 121: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, further to the St. Andrews Agreement, he will give more details of the endorsement by the electorate of the agreement that is required; the methods for this under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34505/06]

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, further to the St. Andrews negotiations, he expects the DUP to agree to the re-establishment of the Assembly and the Executive in the immediate future; the efforts he will make to ensure that the timetable outlined in the agreement will be adhered to, and not postponed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34504/06]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 144: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the outcome of the St. Andrews negotiations on political progress in Northern Ireland; if he is confident that the Assembly and Executive can be re-established in the immediate future; if the two Governments have a Plan B in the event of failure of the St. Andrews initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34502/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 101, 121, 130 and 144 together.

The proposed agreement published by the Governments at St. Andrews comprehensively addressed the core issues standing in the way of the restoration of the power-sharing institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. It sets out a clear way forward for all parties to commit to the full operation of stable power-sharing government and the North/South and East/West arrangements and to full support for policing and the criminal justice institutions, including the Policing Board. It also sets out in some detail the practical changes proposed to the operation of the institutions, the arrangements for a financial package and the timetable for implementation of the agreement.

The St. Andrews text is balanced and fair. It addresses the concerns of the parties on all outstanding issues. If implemented, it will bring us at last to the realisation of the Government's overriding priority — the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and fully-functioning power-sharing institutions serving the people of Northern Ireland. We believe that all the parties wish to see devolution restored and that all parties wish to support policing and the rule of law. We have also made clear however, that our deadline for progress remains firm and that in the event of failure to agree, we will proceed on the basis of the new British Irish partnership arrangements to implement the Good Friday Agreement.

We have asked the parties to confirm acceptance of the agreement by 10 November so that the timetable we have laid out for the nomination of the First and Deputy First Minister in November and for restoration of the Executive in March can be met. We continue to urge all the parties to work towards agreement on any outstanding issues and to remain steadfast in the face of those whose interests may lie in frustrating progress. The Government's firm view is that no issue is so difficult or intractable that it can not be resolved through discussion between the parties themselves.

This is also the case in respect of the future stability of the institutions. Paragraph 11 of the St. Andrews Agreement refers to the existing verification and compliance mechanisms relating to the Assembly as set out in the Good Friday Agreement and in the agreement between the Governments published in May 2003. Institutional stability is fundamentally linked to the overall question of trust and confidence. The St. Andrews Agreement is the culmination of the Governments' work over many years to create a process where trust and confidence grow incrementally to the point where partnership government becomes a lasting reality in Northern Ireland. We believe that implementation of the St. Andrews Agreement and the consequent commitment by all parties in good faith to share power and to support policing and the criminal justice system is the best possible guarantor of institutional stability into the future.

As the Taoiseach has said, it is clear from our discussions at St. Andrews that some form of electoral endorsement of the agreement as a whole will be required before the formation of an Executive. The form such an endorsement would take in Northern Ireland is not decided, nor is the question of whether a referendum might be required here. In considering these matters, the Government will obviously be guided by the considered advice of the Attorney General.

The process will continue to demand careful management to bring it to a successful completion and the Government will continue to work in close partnership with the British Government, as well as with the parties, as we work to that end.