A Cheann Comhairle,
I move the Government Amendment.
With your agreement, a Cheann Comhairle, I wish to share my time with Minister John O'Donoghue and Minister Mary Coughlan.
I am very mindful of the central elements in the Opposition Motion which has been tabled. It is important that these issues are discussed and I am grateful for the opportunity we now have to do so.
The Government feel that their alternative Motion is necessary to take account of the broader dimensions of Government policy in relation to the peace process and also to reflect recent significant developments, including the Cory Reports and the work being undertaken by the International Monitoring Commission.
The Governments goals, as reflected in their Motion, are open and transparent.
We are committed to working for progress in Northern Ireland. We want to fully implement the Agreement. We want a definitive end to all para militarism. We want to see the return of the Assembly and devolved government. We also want comprehensive and open dialogue with all strands of unionism, as well as nationalism.
We believe that if everybody is willing to step up to their responsibilities and seize the opportunity, arrangements under the Agreement can be put back in place which will be stable and lasting.
On 10 April 1998, almost six years ago to the day, when the Good Friday Agreement was signed, those of us who were there recognised that it had the potential to transform relationships on this island.
I believed that then. And I believe that now. That is why I will continue to devote my energies and time to this indispensable process.
The Agreement offered the opportunity of escape from the fruitless and unproductive disagreements of the past. It pointed towards a new partnership model that threatened the interests of no community but empowered and enriched us all.
I am entirely satisfied that the Agreement that emerged after such protracted negotiations includes the elements essential to healing a divided society and to building relations on and between these islands. The two Governments are, therefore, determined to protect and promote the Agreement in every way possible.
I have made the point on a number of occasions in the last few months that the core of the Agreement is partnership, and that a viable partnership in Northern Ireland can only be constructed on the basis of total equality between the prospective partners.
On my recent visits to Northern Ireland, I said that there can be no half-way house between violence and democracy. I also said that there can be no comfortable resting place between exclusion and partnership.
It is time now, therefore, for all doubts and unresolved issues to be addressed. We have tried on several occasions since the Agreement was signed to do so. Last year we invested an enormous amount of time and effort to this task. It was a frustrating experience.
But however frustrating the experience, there is no escaping the issues. Once and for all, we must solve the problems that have been undermining the peace process. Both Governments are fully committed to making progress as quickly as possible. We ask all the parties also to commit themselves to this challenge.
We are very clear what we need. The commitment to exclusively peaceful and democratic means in the Agreement must become a living reality on the ground in Northern Ireland. Partnership can only work completely and achieve its reconciling potential when the use, or threat, of force have been finally removed from the equation.
Ongoing paramilitary activity and sectarian attacks erode the trust and confidence necessary to sustain the process. They obstruct efforts to achieve political progress. These activities,in all their various guises, must now be brought to a definitive end.
This is a requirement for all paramilitary organisations,loyalist and republican.
But the republican movement has a special responsibility given Sinn Féins position of political leadership within the nationalist community.
The scope of activities that must end were outlined in paragraph13 of the Joint Declaration published in May 2003. They have not changed. They include military attacks, training, targeting,intelligence gathering, acquisition or development of arms or weapons, other preparation for terrorist campaigns, punishment beatings and attacks and involvement in riots.
There is also a need for the issue of decommissioning of paramilitary weapons to be addressed in a way that will maximize public confidence.
We also want to see an end to all forms of IRA-directed criminality that have been the focus of so much attention in this jurisdiction in recent weeks.
A commitment to policing is also central to a Northern Ireland free of para militarism and criminality. Such a commitment would be the clearest sign that could be given that the communities in Northern Ireland are moving forward together.
The Unionist parties also have clear responsibilities. The DUP and UUP must commit themselves to the full and continuous operation of all of the political institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.
This includes sharing power in a Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive with all political parties whose mandate gives them aright of participation, and full support for, and participation in,the all-island institutions of the Agreement.
I welcome the opening of our dialogue with the DUP. The path to this point of engagement has not been a rapid one. But I believe that open and honest engagement will broaden and deepen the process of dialogue and reconciliation on this island.
I welcome the publication of proposals on the Review of the Agreement by a number of parties, including the DUP. I hope that the DUPs initial proposals, covering Strand One of the Agreement, will soon be followed by their proposals on the North-South and East-West dimensions of the Agreement. The challenge for the Review is to collectively consider and discuss whether change can be accommodated, mindful that there is no question of degrading the fundamental values, principles or protections of the Agreement.
The restoration of devolved government on an inclusive basis is a key priority for both Governments. But the Agreement is wider than devolution. Both Governments have a responsibility to ensure that the non-devolved aspects of the Agreement continue to be implemented.
The ongoing work within the framework of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference is, therefore, important. It includes the implementation of commitments made in the Joint Declaration in the areas of criminal justice, human rights, equality and community issues.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Northern Ireland Secretary of State will co-chair the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference later this month at which they will advance progress on these issues.
At the same time, the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC),which was tasked in the Joint Declaration with monitoring and reporting on the carrying out of commitments in relation to the ending of paramilitary activity and the programme of security normalisation in Northern Ireland, will shortly issue its first report. It is also empowered to consider claims that any party within the Assembly was in breach of its commitments under the Agreement.
In response to a number of factors, including an incident in Kellys Cellars Bar in Belfast on 20 February, the IMC agreed to bring forward their first report on ongoing paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland and both Governments expect to receive this over the coming week or so.
It is our view that the IMC can act as a confidence-building mechanism on a wide range of issues, particularly by offering reassurance that the activities which destabilised the institutions in the past will not escape accountability.
I do not know what the impact of the IMC report will be when it is published. But I do know that we can no longer avoid addressing the issues which are central to the Commissions mandate.
In the interests of confidence-building, it is also vital that commitments entered into by the Governments are fulfilled. In this regard, I welcome the publication last week of the four reports by Judge Peter Cory on cases of concern in Northern Ireland.
I also welcome the establishment of inquiries, as recommended by Judge Cory, into the cases of Robert Hamill, Rosemary Nelson and Billy Wright.
The decision not to proceed at this time with the necessary public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane is disappointing. I agree with Judge Cory that such an inquiry should take place in parallel with the pending prosecution. We will continue to press our view on the British Government that the Weston Park commitments must be honoured in all cases. This means that a public inquiry in the case of Pat Finucane must be held as soon as possible.
There is a legitimate question, particularly following implementation of Judge Corys recommendations, of how best we should now handle the legacy of the Troubles. I read Deputy Brutons thoughtful contribution on this issue at the weekend. I know also that Secretary of State Paul Murphy has been asked to consult with the parties on how this highly sensitive matter should be handled.
There are many who feel that we should have embarked on such a truth and reconciliation process before now. I do not know where these latest discussions will lead. But I support them. And I believe they are timely.
I hope that a consensus emerges - centered on the victims - that will allow this most difficult issue to be addressed in an appropriate way will also ensure a necessary and real focus on the present and on the future.
On this sixth anniversary of the Agreement I am fully aware of the need to maintain confidence in the process. When I recently met with Prime Minister Blair at Hillsborough, we clearly stated our preference to see early progress on the key issues, preferably before the local and European elections in June.
I can assure the House that both Governments will remain in close contact with all the parties over the coming weeks to advance all opportunities for progress.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the opposition parties for their ongoing support and constructive engagement as we strive to fully implement the Agreement and to achieve a lasting political settlement on this island.
ENDS