"…a limited right of audience within the Dáil. This would not require a constitutional amendment, and might technically be effected through the Dáil periodically forming itself into a Committee of the Whole House for the purposes of selected debates, most obviously for instance on Northern Ireland matters and on the operation of the Good Friday Agreement. The frequency and organisation of such debates could easily be altered as no constitutional amendment is required over time, in the light of experience."

Go ndéanann Dáil Éireann:
– ag athdhearbhú di a tacaíochta le Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta ar aontaigh muintir na hÉireann leis i reifrinn;
– ag aithint di an dul chun cinn polaitiúil mar thoradh ar phróiseas na síochána agus ar an gComhaontú, atá le leas mhuintir uile na hÉireann;
– ag cur a buíochais in iúl as an obair atá déanta agus glactha chucu ag na hinstitiúidí uile-Éireann;
– ag aithint di go bhfuil comhdhualgais agus dualgais chomhionanna ar Rialtas na hÉireann agus ar Rialtas na Breataine i leith cur i bhfeidhm iomlán an Chomhaontaithe a chinntiú, mar atá sainordaithe ag an bpobal;
– ag cuimhneamh di ar an dul chun cinn atá déanta i gcainteanna a raibh athbhunú na n-institiúidí mar aidhm leo;
– cáineadh ar chinneadh rialtas na Breataine chun toghcháin an Tionóil, a bhí le bheith ann ar 29 Bealtaine 2003, a chur ar ceal;
– a éileamh ar rialtas na Breataine:
– na hinstitiúidí polaitiúla a bunaíodh faoin gComhaontú a athbhunú;
– dáta roimh dheireadh mhí Mheithimh 2003 a shocrú do thoghcháin an Tionóil;
– a áitiú ar Rialtas na hÉireann:
– ionadaíocht sa Dáil a shocrú do shaoránaigh sna Sé Chontae; agus
– polasaithe agus straitéisí uile-Éireannach a chur chun cinn ar fud an réimse dualgas Rialtais, ó aithnítear na buntáistí do mhuintir uile na hÉireann a bhaineann le seoladh cúrsaí poiblí ar bhonn uile-oileáin. Tá mé ag roinnt ama leis an Teachta Arthur Morgan, a gheobhaidh cúig nóiméad, an Teachta Ferris, a gheobhaidh cúig nóiméad, an Teachta Healy, a gheobhaidh seacht nóiméad go leith, an Teachta Finian McGrath, a gheobhaidh seacht nóiméad go leith, agus is é an duine deireannach ná an Teachta Boyle, a gheobhaidh cúig nóiméad. Tá súil agam go bhfuil sé sin ceart go leor.

"…the section that urges the Irish Government to provide for representation in the Dáil for citizens of the Six Counties. That is something they should have. They are Irish citizens and, if they elect people to represent them in the Six Counties, they should have an opportunity to represent the views of their constituents in this House and in Seanad Éireann. I support this part of the motion."

"…notes the recommendations of the Oireachtas All-Party Committee on the Constitution with regard to Northern representation in the Oireachtas, and agrees that these recommendations should be taken forward through consultation with all political parties represented in the Dáil and Seanad."

"Turning to the motion tabled by Sinn Féin, I recognise that the issue of northern parties achieving representation in the Oireachtas periodically arises in the House. Efforts have been under way to review the situation since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement five years ago, recognising the new context it created for political structures throughout Ireland. It is the Labour Party's view that the relationship and interaction between elected representatives in the North and in the Oireachtas should only be considered alongside full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. In the present context, such consideration serves only to distract us from the main issue of re-establishing the institutions created under the Agreement and using them as templates for future political structures North and South. This does not mean that accommodating elected representatives in the North in some fashion is out of the question. The terms in which Sinn Féin has chosen to present the issue in this debate do not recognise the efforts made through the All-Party Committee on the Constitution, of which I was a member. We held hearings and heard from a number of political parties, including Sinn Féin and the SDLP, which presented cases to the committee. This was a recognition that a new kind of relationship should be explored and considered by the committee. Recommendations were published and presented to the previous Government after consideration of the issues was completed.

"I can recall the discussions in the committee very clearly. There was cross-party agreement that the fact that cross-community representation was a significant factor should be recognised. We could not disregard the fact that the mandate that exists in Northern Ireland does not belong to any one community, but is instead a cross-community mandate. We had to take that factor into account in our deliberations about any proposals we were bringing forward. The Seanad is revisiting the issue of Oireachtas representation for northern politicians. I welcome the Seanad's explicit efforts, as part of its internal review, to explore ways of accommodating representation for people in the North. I anticipate that a way of resolving the matter will be found that is to the satisfaction of parties in the Oireachtas and in Northern Ireland."

"We regret that our MPs, or Deputies, from constituencies north of the Border, are unable at this point to join us in this important debate on the floor of the Chamber. It is something we have pursued actively and we welcome the stated intent of the Taoiseach to have this matter expedited and addressed in the autumn session.

"While regretting that our colleague MPs are unable to join us this evening, I want to make it abundantly clear that we also regret the fact that all 18 MPs for the northern constituencies are unable to be with us here today. I want to put on record that we look forward to the day when all 18 MPs will have the opportunity to represent their particular analysis and outlook in a debate on this issue or on related matters. I hope and expect that day is approaching, which is something I hope to be here to welcome.

"It is important to acknowledge at this juncture the Government's agreement in its amendment to our motion that the issue of northern representation in the Oireachtas should be taken forward by agreement in both the Dáil and Seanad and that that should happen before the end of this session."

"…found the Dáil should consider granting a right of audience to MPs on specific Northern issues, on a cross-community basis. But it worried about the impact this might have on unionist support for the Belfast Agreement and it favoured, instead, the development of a North-South parliamentary forum or the system under which Northern representatives are appointed to the Seanad by the Taoiseach".

"The story so far went like this: Pat Doherty of Sinn Féin/IRA announced in August that Northern MPs would be allowed to address the Dail. And naturally everyone was livid.

"In fairness, people felt, we didn't really want the representatives of a neighbouring state participating in our Government, a government of which they don't even accept the legitimacy. So Gerry Adams backs it up.

"Says that Bertie told him in a secret meeting that Sinn Féin MPs could speak in the Dáil, on any issue. And we start wondering then what the hell else Bertie and Gerry cooked up alone.

"The two of them there in secret, with Bertie, the great deal-maker, promising anything at all that would keep Gerry happy.

"Then Bertie says that no actually, he never said that MPs could speak in the Dáil. Because it’s clear that people aren't into the idea."

"Why did Bertie propose it in the first place?

"Yes, you can say he's responding to a long-standing demand from Sinn Féin and also to proposals for reforming Dáil representation that have been in the offing for years. True, but Bertie knows better than to rush in with a proposal he must have known would be rejected.

"So why did he do it?

"Politics folks, politics.

"Now no one can say Fianna Fáil did nothing to make the Dáil a truly national chamber. He can always turn to SF and tell them he did try to make speaking rights for northerners a reality but that wasn't his main reason.

"In the run up to the next election in the Republic, probably in 2007, the taoiseach can wrap the green flag round him and point to those parties which frustrated plans to include northerners in any shape or form in the Dáil.

"Fine Gael and Labour walked straight into it exposing themselves as partitionist to their core…

"…Quite obviously he didn't want last week's proposal to work any more than the parties which summarily rejected it. But Bertie walks away with the credit. A classic stroke."