30 March 2000

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Sinn Fein meets Dáil parties on peace process

Sinn Fein met Dáil parties today to discuss the crisis in the peace process and the need for the urgent re-instatement of the political institutions.

Sinn Fein Chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin, Assembly member Michelle Gildernew, Meath County Councillor Joe Reilly and Dublin Ard Chomhairle member Aengus ó Snodaigh met Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the Green Party. Mr McLaughlin said that today's meetings were in a series initiated by Sinn Fein with all the pro-Agreement parties, North and South.

The Fianna Fáil delegation was led by former Foreign Affairs Minister David Andrews; Fine Gael by party leader John Bruton; and Labour by party leader Ruairi Quinn.

Mr McLaughlin said: ``We had a full, open and forthright discussion with all the parties during which we explained our view that the suspension of the political institutions by Peter Mandelson was a retrograde step and they need to be back up and running without delay.

``We also asked the Dáil parties to actively support moves, notwithstanding the re-establishment of the Executive, to implement all the components of the Good Friday Agreement - human rights and equality legislation, judicial reform, a programme for demilitarisation, cross-border bodies, etc. These issues cannot be held hostage or vetoed by the rejectionist unionists.''

The parties also discussed the issue of representation in the Oireachtas for political representatives from the Six Counties.

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