Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 51: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his strategy regarding confidence building measures towards various groups in Northern Ireland. [19799/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Government continues to avail of every suitable opportunity to build and assist confidence throughout the island of Ireland in the achievements of the peace process so far and to help ensure that further progress is achieved over the period ahead. Confidence in the relations that have developed between the traditions which share this island have improved greatly over the decades of the peace process. This improvement was evident from the recent State Visit to Ireland by Queen Elizabeth II which did so much to encapsulate the transformation in relations that has been achieved. The conduct of the campaign for the recent Northern Ireland Assembly Elections, where all the main political parties campaigned on a platform of making the devolved institutions work for all of the people in the North, was a further demonstration of the progress that has been made in building confidence among the community in Northern Ireland.

However, we are all too aware of the deep divisions that the conflict have left and of the ongoing challenges posed by sectarianism. The rioting that has returned to the streets of Northern Ireland this summer is a reminder that there is still much work to be done to overcome this legacy. The ongoing threat posed by so called dissidents is being met with a concerted response from the Gardaí and the PSNI. These challenges serve to remind us that the work of reconciliation and consolidation of the peace process is long-term and will require the ongoing commitment of the two governments, of the NI Executive and of community leaders and wider society across these two islands. As Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade I will do my utmost to this end during my term in office.

In my recent meeting with Secretary of State Owen Paterson in Dublin on 27 June we discussed ways in which the two governments can work together to assist the NI Executive in this long term process of reconciliation and confidence building between the communities. My own Department operates Reconciliation and Anti-Sectarianism Funds which assist individuals and organisations involved at grass-roots community levels in peace-building and reconciliation work and provide opportunities for outreach by the Government towards both sides of the community in Northern Ireland. This was reflected in the attendance last month by over two hundred community and youth workers from all sections of society throughout Ireland at a Reconciliation Networking Forum event hosted by my Department in Dublin earlier this month.

With a particular emphasis on the handling of various key historical anniversaries that will arise over the coming decade, the Forum provided a platform for discussion and debate on how to deal with both our shared past and how to secure a shared future free from violence and hatred. In my keynote address, I also availed of the opportunity to call for the development of a 'Version 2.0' peace process, in which the key focus is on the kind of society we want to build on this island and on the way we relate to our neighbours.

These are not issues for Government alone and I acknowledge that much is already being done by other committed non-governmental organisations and individuals to help advance such an agenda. I very much look forward to the newly reconstituted Good Friday Agreement, under the able chairmanship of my colleague Deputy Dominic Hannigan, playing its part in this work. We should continue to approach this work together to the very best of our abilities and in a spirit of cooperation.