September is a critical window of opportunity for talks on Northern Ireland, writes Brian Cowen
In September we will enter a crucial phase of talks for Northern Ireland. The climate for agreement will inevitably be influenced by the overall outcome of this year's marching season. The peaceful summer last year was an encouraging testament to how far Northern Ireland had come since the dark days of Drumcree. We were all looking forward to its repetition as confirmation that Northern Ireland was on a benign course that would eventually see contentious parades resolved by dialogue and agreement.
The Parades Commission which brought its positive and rational influence to bear on the issues of contentious parades since 1998 has made a major contribution to peace and stability in Northern Ireland. At this difficult time for the Commission and its courageous members, it is right to affirm that contribution.
Had the Orange Order decided in the better interests of Northern Ireland to engage with the Parades Commission and their nationalist neighbours, we might have seen the spectre of confrontation lifted. Peaceful summers, a respectful remembrance of the traditions on this island and a much needed boost to tourism in Northern Ireland would have flowed from this transformation.
Sadly, this has not yet come to pass. Instead, over recent weeks, we have had determinations of the Parades Commission effectively overturned, tensions brought to boiling point, and disturbing scenes in Lurgan and Ardoyne. Thankfully we have also seen courageous political and community leaders defuse tense and difficult confrontations. I would like to acknowledge, in particular, the role of Sinn Féin in calming the situation in Ardoyne, as well as the positive contribution of the SDLP.
The SDLP has rightly pointed out that it is the role of the Policing Board to hear the account of the PSNI for the decisions it has taken on these contentious parades. Both the Policing Board and the Parades Commission are of critical importance in defining and defending the vital middle ground in Northern Ireland. Their authority must be respected and protected.
The marching season is not over and it behoves all the key players to ensure that its conclusion is calm and peaceful. We need to take stock of what went wrong and what can be got right for the future. Northern Ireland cannot afford and does not deserve to be blighted by tensions and confrontations that arise when obstacles are put in the way of the dialogue that is essential to long-term peace and stability. I welcome the expressed willingness of the North and West Belfast Parades Forum to enter into dialogue with nationalist representatives and hope this engagement commences immediately.
So even if this year's marching season has not been entirely trouble free, we can still draw lessons from it. The first is that dialogue is absolutely critical to defusing conflict and winning trust. The second is that leadership brings with it responsibilities that, if shirked, will paralyse the process that has brought such benefits to Northern Ireland over recent years. And the third is that the absence of devolved institutions of government inhibits the development of local political leadership that works together for the greater good of the whole community.
The elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly last November marked the emergence of a new political landscape with the DUP and Sinn Féin becoming, respectively, the largest parties in the unionist and nationalist communities. Based on my personal engagement with both parties over the last six months, I believe they intend to exercise those mandates responsibly and constructively. The SDLP, the UUP and Alliance also have important contributions to make - as they have done in the past - in achieving a stable and inclusive democratic platform in Northern Ireland.
Despite the considerable progress made over recent years, we have not been able to sustain a political basis for stable, inclusive government in Northern Ireland. In London on June 25th the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister announced their intention to convene talks in September for the purpose of reaching agreement on the four key outstanding issues: ending paramilitary activity; completing the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons; ensuring the stability of the political institutions; and creating a policing dispensation that has the support and participation of the entire community.
A comprehensive agreement on these issues can and should be reached in the autumn. They have been exhaustively debated and defined. The critical question is whether the parties concerned have the will, the courage and the generosity to bring them to a successful finality. We cannot let matters drift without end.
I believe that all the parties are committed to achieving an honourable accommodation that fully and irreversibly secures peace and partnership politics in Northern Ireland. This means the issues of paramilitary activity and arms decommissioning being definitively and comprehensively resolved. Equally, it means all parties being genuinely committed to the fundamentals of the power-sharing arrangements at the heart of the Good Friday agreement.
Starting now, there must be serious and solution-oriented engagement on the key issues that have to be resolved. The necessary preparatory work must be done over the coming weeks so that we can make rapid progress in September. Likewise, the parties must prepare their respective communities for the substantial steps that will be required on all sides to bridge gaps and reach overall agreement.
The two governments must also meet our responsibilities. We must underpin any emerging agreement by a clear determination - underwritten at the highest political level - to see it fully implemented in the shortest possible timescale. This time round, all of the participants in the discussions need to be fully up for a deal. The process cannot afford another near miss like the spring and autumn of last year. September is a critical window of opportunity that must be seized for the benefit of all of the people on this island - not least for those living on community interfaces who are on the front line of the marching season.
Brian Cowen TD is Minister for Foreign Affairs