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CURRENT INDEX
Enterprise Ireland Business Breakfast, Dubai
Mr. Bertie Ahern T.D. at the Enterprise Ireland Business Breakfast in the Intercontinental Hotel, Riyadh
Taoiseach Welcomes Sinn Féin Decision on Ard Fheis
Taoiseach Welcomes Sinn Fein Decision To Hold Special Ard Fheis On Policing
Taoiseach welcomes Sinn Féin move on Policing an “encouraging and significant development”
Statement by An Taoiseach on the death of President Gerald Ford
Christmas Road Safety Message from An Taoiseach
Dublin Port
Government Statement on the Irish Language
Annual Liam Mellows Commemoration, Castletown, Co. Wexford

Vote on Bertie Ahern‘s announced resignation

Thursday, 18 January, 2007
Enterprise Ireland Business Breakfast, Dubai
Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, Dubai
I am very pleased to meet with you today as the head of this Irish Government trade mission comprising 114 leading Irish organisations. It is tangible evidence of the enthusiasm of Irish companies for increased links between Ireland and the United Arab Emirates.

A wide range of Irish industry is represented on this mission. International services, industrial products, food and consumer goods, educational services, as well as business associations and Chambers of Commerce.

World-class products manufactured in Ireland and exported to international markets include telecommunications, engineering and electronics products, industrial components, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, agribusiness, premium food and drinks products, consumer merchandise and internationally traded services, such as consultancy and educational services.

Many of the companies on this mission are already establishing solid market positions here. They have identified significant potential for new and mutually beneficial relationships. All of these organisations are here to further develop the dynamic trade partnership between our countries.
This is an all-Ireland trade mission and includes representatives from over 20 companies from Northern Ireland. Their presence reflects a pattern of increased co-operation among Irish companies in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The Irish and United Arab Emirates economies share many features. Like Ireland, the Emirates is a progressive and stable economy. It provides a strong pro-business and pro-enterprise environment for building long-term business relationships in the Gulf.

While Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Government’s trade and technology board, set up office in Dubai four years ago, it has been in the region for over 20 years. Enterprise Ireland’s presence in Dubai demonstrates the commitment of the Irish Government to working with companies from Ireland and the Unitied Arab Emirates and Government institutions to create business opportunities.

Ireland has always regarded its business relationship with the United Arab Emirates as being of the highest priority. Since 2000, we have regularly brought trade delegations to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. As a result, Irish exports to the Emirates continue to go from strength to strength, increasing by an annual average of 20% in recent years.

Last year was one of the best ever for Irish companies in the Emirates, with preliminary results suggesting a growth in sales of over 45% in the region. This is an excellent achievement and points to the strong potential for further growth in the future.
And I am pleased to note that Irish trade links with the Emirates are expanding into a wide range of new areas. Some examples include:

· the current joint project between Valentia Technologies and RCSI and the Dublin Fire Brigade to assist the Dubai Ambulance Services in developing best practice;

· the initiative of International Computer Driving Licence, in setting up an office in Dubai, and in having the Licence made mandatory for all Dubai Government employees; and

· the success of a number of Irish telecoms software companies in having their solutions implemented by the new mobile operator in Dubai.

Another strong Irish/Dubai connection is the bloodstock investments and stud ownership of the Maktoum family in Ireland. In addition, many of the 700 plus Arab students who study in Ireland every year are from the Emirates. Many are completing their final years schooling and attending the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

I am pleased to note that these connections are strengthening. The launch of an Emirates Ireland Business Network and the Abu Dhabi Business Forum, in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland, have provided valuable support for Irish companies coming into the Emirates. They also provide useful networking opportunities for those companies already based here.

The recent introduction of direct flights from Dublin to Dubai has opened up the wider Gulf region to Ireland. It has also had the added bonus of facilitating Ireland as an attractive tourist and business destination for people from the Emirates.

The number of visit visas issued by the Visa Facilitation Office based in Enterprise Ireland’s Dubai office will be three times the original estimate. This has been helped no doubt by the robust marketing of Ireland by Tourism Ireland, our North/South Tourism agency.

An increasing number of Irish companies have opened offices in Dubai, using it as a hub to develop regional business. The openness of the Dubai authorities to foreign direct investment has made it a logical choice for companies needing a base for expanding regional sales. Irish companies have opened a total of 16 offices and there will be a number of additional announcements this week.

Enterprise Ireland is here to work with both Irish and local companies to create new trade opportunities and new partnerships. International partnership is a key strategic objective. Irish companies are becoming increasingly involved in strategic alliances, joint ventures, sourcing relationships, product/process licensing and in collaborative research and development with international partners. I would like to thank Enterprise Ireland for their work and congratulate them on their organisation of this trade mission.

The extraordinary economic growth rates achieved by Ireland over the past decade owe much to the exports of Irish technology-based companies. This high tech industrial base has transformed Ireland from being a producer of low technology commodities into a dynamic modern trading economy.

These companies are engaged in a continuous process of transformation centred on innovation and internationalisation. They have become successful players in the competitive global marketplace. These companies are fuelling the growth of the Irish economy and their success is indeed a national success.

This trade mission is solid evidence of our commitment to support and develop our mutual interests with the United Arab Emirates and create greater awareness of the potential for Ireland as your business partner.

I have no doubt that the Irish companies who are with me on this visit will find it a positive experience. As well as its success in generating new trade, it represents an excellent opportunity to form lasting relationships with businesses here. I wish you all every success.

Thursday, 18 January 2007
Mr. Bertie Ahern T.D. at the Enterprise Ireland Business Breakfast in the Intercontinental Hotel, Riyadh
It is a great pleasure to meet with you today as the head of this Irish Government trade mission. This very large trade mission comprises 114 leading Irish organisations. It is tangible evidence of the enthusiasm of Irish companies for increased links between Ireland and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A wide range of Irish industry is represented. International services, industrial products, food and consumer goods, educational services, as well as business associations and Chambers of Commerce. Many of the companies on this mission are already establishing solid market positions here. They have identified significant potential for new and mutually beneficial relationships. All of these organisations are here to further develop the dynamic trade partnership between our countries.

This is an all-Ireland trade mission and includes representatives from over 20 companies from Northern Ireland. Their presence reflects a pattern of increasing co-operation among Irish companies and business organisations across the island of Ireland.

This morning’s event is an occasion to celebrate the growing trade links between our countries. The Kingdom is a valued trade partner and we have always regarded our business relationship with Saudi Arabia as being of the highest priority. Irish exports here continue to go from strength to strength, increasing by an annual 20% over the last number of years. Last year was one of the best ever for Irish sales here, with indications pointing to growth of over 40%.

We welcome the increasing openness of the Saudi economy as well as your recent accession to the World Trade Organisation. Other positives include the creation of 100% ownership options for investing companies, the de-regulation of the telecoms market and the growth of private construction projects. These developments create opportunities for further co-operation between Irish and Saudi organisations.

Our mission here at the start of 2007 is to match this openness with an increasing awareness by Irish companies that this is a progressive, stable and business-friendly environment for building long-term trade. It is just over 20 years since Enterprise Ireland first set up its office in Saudi Arabia. Some of our guests here this morning have been part of this long relationship from the very beginning. Irish business connections go back to the setting up of the Almarai Dairy farms in conjunction with Masstock. There are still Irish people involved with this company and keeping this relationship alive. And the relationship is growing. The Saudi Ireland Business Group, organised through Enterprise Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland, held its inaugural meeting a few weeks ago. This Group is set to become a significant force in helping to bring Irish and Saudi business people together.

This close relationship puts Irish business in prime position to contribute to, and benefit from, the Kingdom’s impressive pace of economic development. Irish companies are winning business in a number of key areas. These include: information technology and telecoms software; healthcare and pharmaceuticals; third level education services; utilities, power and construction industries; and e-Learning and e-Government applications.

And I am pleased to say that Irish contacts with Saudi Arabia are also expanding into a wide range of new areas. Some recent examples include:
* Saudi Arabian students are currently studying at University College Cork;
* GOTEVOT, the Saudi Government vocational education & training authority, has recently visited Irish Institutes of Technology to explore p= ossible areas of co-operation;
* Irish dairy products are set for a re-launch in Saudi Arabia;
* Vilicom will be the first Irish company to set up a branch office in Riyadh. This is a trend we hope to see continued as more and more Irish companies realise the potential of the Saudi market and the need for offices here.

Ireland is developing a knowledge-based economy. That economy is substantially shaped by the emergence of strong technology-led and export-focused Irish owned companies. These companies are engaged in a continuous process of transformation centred on innovation and internationalisation. They have become successful players in the competitive global marketplace. These companies are fuelling the growth of the Irish economy and their success is indeed a national success. Enterprise Ireland is here to work with both Irish and Saudi companies to create new trade opportunities. And I would like to congratulate them on their organisation of this trade mission. Enterprise Ireland is particularly interested in creating strategic alliances, joint ventures, sourcing relationships, product and process licensing and collaborative research & development.

This Government-led trade mission is solid evidence of our commitment to support and develop our mutual interests with Saudi Arabia. Our primary aim here is to create a greater awareness of the potential for Ireland as your business partner. I have no doubt that the Irish companies who are with me on this visit will find it a positive experience. As well as its success in generating new trade, it represents an excellent opportunity to form lasting relationships with Saudi business. I wish you all every success.

Sunday, 14 January, 2007
Taoiseach Welcomes Sinn Féin Decision on Ard Fheis
The Taoiseach said tonight: “I welcome the decision by Sinn Féin to hold a special Ard Fheis to address the issue of support for policing and the rule of law.

“It is important that, for the first time, we now have the prospect of all parties giving their full support to policing and the rule of law.

“The two Governments remain focused on the full implementation of the St Andrews Agreement and will remain in close contact over the coming weeks.”

Saturday, 30 December 2006
Taoiseach Welcomes Sinn Fein Decision To Hold Special Ard Fheis On Policing
Sinn Féin has today taken an important step on the road to support for policing in Northern Ireland.

This is clearly a landmark and timely decision and I welcome it.

The Ard Fheis on policing which Sinn Féin will now hold in January will be a defining moment in the peace process. A successful outcome is vital to the continuing success of this process. And, of course, it will also make a real difference to the daily lives of many people across both communities in Northern Ireland affected by crime and other issues which only the police can properly address.

The Patten Report has already transformed policing in Northern Ireland. With the issue of Sinn Féin support for policing definitively resolved, the door will be open for the full restoration of the Executive in March, as envisaged in the St Andrews Agreement.

Northern Ireland needs stable and inclusive Government. It needs the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. With all parties honouring their commitments - to policing and to power sharing - 2007 should offer real opportunity for stability and a whole new political landscape in Northern Ireland.
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Thursday, 28 December 2006
Taoiseach welcomes Sinn Féin move on Policing an “encouraging and significant development”
“I warmly welcome the announcement by Sinn Féin this everning that it will hold an Ard Comhairle on poilicing tomorrow.

“This is an encouraging and significant development.

“I hope that this Ard Comhairle will agree the convening of a special Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in January that will definitely and positively decide on the policing issue.

“This is vital if the St. Andrews timetable is to be maintained.

“Inclusive support by all for policing and the rule of law is an essential part of the St. Andrews Agreement.

“A resolution of the policing issue by Sinn Féin in January will greatly help to build confidence and clear the way to the restoration of the Executive in March.”

The Taoiseach spoke with Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams on the telephone this morning.

Wednesaay, 27 December 2006
Statement by An Taoiseach on the death of President Gerald Ford
It is with great regret that I learned today of the death of President Ford.

I offer my condolences, thoughts and prayers to the late President's family and to the American people on the loss of a great leader and a great man.

He will be greatly missed.

Friday, 22 December 2006
Christmas Road Safety Message from An Taoiseach
A lot of good work has been done, and there is a lot more underway to make our roads safer. Government is playing its part. New legislation on issues such as mandatory alcohol testing and penalty points, extra enforcement resources, establishment of the Road Safety Authority and high profile advertising are just some of the important measures taken in 2006. If everyone plays their part, we can as a nation make road safety a real success story in 2007.

So I want to take this opportunity to thank and compliment each person who has already exercised personal responsibility, and improved their own behaviour as a road user. I know it can be hard. I know it can be inconvenient but quite simply it is life saving. To you that have changed your behaviour in some way, such as stopped drinking and driving, reduced your driving speed, worn your seat belt, worn high visibility clothing as a pedestrian, worn a cycle helmet, installed a child safety seat or taken some other lifesaving decision, I thank you.

I want to single out the emergency services for special praise. To the men and women of An Garda Siochana, ambulance paramedics, the fire brigade and the doctors and nurses who fight daily to save lives we thank you. I hope you get a restful break over the Christmas.

Unfortunately too many of our community are killed needlessly and many more are seriously and permanently injured on our roads. To the minority who continue to disregard the rules of the road, I call on you today to stop and think for just a few seconds. You can prevent death, injury, trauma and hardship on our roads. Please, take responsibility for your behaviour, and treat other road users the same way you would want them to treat you.

Finally, I would once again like to thank everyone who has co-operated with the new measures being introduced, and who has adjusted their own behaviour to help reduce death and injury on our roads. And I take this opportunity to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and a peaceful and, above all, safe, New Year.

Wednesday, 20 December 2006
Dublin Port
I am very pleased and indeed proud to be here with you to declare open for business the largest single infrastructure project this State has ever undertaken. This undertaking is the outcome of more than ten years of vision and effort which began long before the first spade was set in the ground.

The concept of the Dublin Port Tunnel was part of the strategy which emerged from the Dublin Transportation Initiative, published in 1995. At the time, the Dublin Transportation Initiative and the strategy it produced was regarded by many people as just the latest in a long line of ambitious plans which would simply gather dust on the shelves. This plan, however, was actually implemented. Along with the Port Tunnel, it included the construction of a ring motorway and the development of a completely new rail-based transport system, known to us today as the M50 and the LUAS. We were told that it could not be done, should not be done and that, if it was done it would not work.

Well, there are some problems with the M50, but can anyone imagine what it would be like if the M50 was not there? Those problems are being tackled in a determined way and we will see very significant improvement as the increased capacity comes on stream. The same applies to the LUAS, where the only complaint is that there is not enough of it - not to worry, there is more coming as we press ahead with a number of projects to extend the LUAS. Today we see the culmination of what was probably the most challenging element of the DTI Strategy - a twin bore, two lane motorway tunnel linking Dublin Port to the country's rapidly growing motorway network. Dublin Port is the biggest single distribution centre in the country. The tunnel represents a massive improvement in the ability to move goods into and out of Dublin Port.

In the past few years, we have opened many new roads and other transport and infrastructure projects, and they are all important and valuable, both at local and national level. Today, however we have something on a different order of magnitude, something we have never done on this scale before.

Apart from some initial development funding from the European Union, practically the entire €751 million project cost has been funded by the Irish taxpayer through the National Roads Authority and the National Development Plan.

The tunnel has been project managed by Dublin City Council, and constructed by an international consortium involving Irish, British and Japanese contractors. John Fitzgerald, the former Dublin City Manager, on whose watch this project came to fruition, used to say it was “like the united nations", so diverse was the workforce deployed at Fairview and Whitehall and all the underground locations in between.

The opening of the Dublin Port Tunnel will enable almost two million truck trips each year to access the motorway network directly, instead of using the narrow streets of the city centre and the inner suburban residential areas. After a short bedding in period, the management plan will be implemented on 19 February, which will take the very heavy trucks off these streets. This will facilitate the introduction of traffic calming and it is something people in those areas have been looking forward to for a long time. It will improve the whole environment of the city centre and will contribute significantly to the rejuvenation of the area which is currently under way.

Ireland has undergone massive change even since the tunnel project was first mooted, just over ten years ago. Irish people used to emigrate to Britain and the United States, or even further, to Australia and other far flung places, to work on great construction projects, from the London Underground to the trans-continental railway lines of North America, the Sydney Opera House or the Motorways of England.

Today, as we face into the twenty-first century, we are building twenty-first century infrastructure, and world class infrastructure at that, in our own country, for our own people, with our own resources.

Five thousand people worked on the site here, over the period of the tunnel's construction. They built four and a half kilometres of twin bore tunnel, and another kilometre of cut and cover. They built three new bridges, shifted two million tonnes of clay and rock, and planted forty thousand trees and shrubs. They put in eight million working hours, and they did it all with an exemplary health and safety record. That in itself is a priceless achievement and a great credit to the planners, the managers and the workforce.

Today is an important milestone in the development of Ireland's transport infrastructure. It is also a major demonstration of the energy, the confidence and the capability of the Irish people to rise to a challenge.

We are all entitled to feel proud of this achievement and we will go on to achieve more - as evidenced by the major investment programme underway now with Transport 21. I am delighted, therefore, to declare the Dublin Port Tunnel open to traffic.

Sunday, 10th December, 2006
Annual Liam Mellows Commemoration, Castletown, Co. Wexford
Speech by An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, TD
I am pleased to be here in Castletown to address this annual commemoration of a great patriot, soldier and statesman, Liam Mellows.

I want to express my thanks to the Liam Mellows Commemoration Committee for all their effort in honouring a great champion of the cause of Irish freedom.

In recent times, people of all ages have shown a keen interest in the bravery of the generation that gave us our own independent State. I view it as essential that we keep alive the memory of pivotal moments in our country's past and those, like Liam Mellows, who played a key role in them.

This year, as well as commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Easter Rising and the 80th anniversary of Fianna Fail, I am especially pleased to be here today to honour the memory of a courageous man who fought valiantly to establish the Irish people's right to self-determination.

In December 1923, addressing the first Mellows commemoration, Countess Markiewicz, who would go on to chair the inaugural meeting of Fianna Fail, said of Mellows that he was : “one of Ireland's most loyal and honoured commandants, a great soldier, as brave as could be found, and a man worthy of the people's gratitude.” Liam Mellows dedicated his life to a practical republicanism where the people of Ireland would be citizens not serfs. And Mellows was truly convinced of the enormous potential for progress this country possessed if freedom could only be achieved. At the core of his political being was the belief that a native government was necessary to build up our economy and to strengthen its capacity to provide decent livelihoods for all Ireland's people.

Mellows first came to public prominence as the leader of the Western Division forces in the Easter 1916 Rising. James Connolly had regarded Mellows as the most able of all the military leaders of his generation. And there is no doubt that Mellows's daring leadership qualities are very evident from the fact that over 500 men rallied to his side in Galway in spite of the overwhelming odds stacked against the insurgent forces.

Though the countermanding order from the Volunteer Executive and lack of arms had hamstrung the Rising, Mellows and his comrades still succeeded in capturing a number of barracks in Galway and they even briefly held the town of Athenry.

Ultimately, though, the Galway rebels, were forced after five days to surrender to the superior number of the British forces. But Mellows's reputation was further enhanced by the fact that he enjoyed the distinction of being the highest-ranking 1916 military commander to evade capture by the British.

Mellows escaped to New York and quickly became regarded as the leader of the 1916 exiles. In this period, Mellows's organisational abilities and his skills as a propagandist were to the forefront. He drafted the fledgling Irish Government's request for admission to the Paris Peace Conference. He penned much of the Democratic Programme of the First Dáil. He also organised De Valera's visit to the United States in which the President of Dáil Eireann sought American recognition of the Irish Republic.

As the War of Independence intensified, Mellows courageously returned to Ireland. He was elected to the Dáil and though Mellows was a fugitive from the crown, his genius for organisation was again crucial to the national cause. Mellows took up the key role of Director of Supplies and in this position he worked closely with Michael Collins.

The exploits of Mellows, in this period, alongside other great military strategists, like Tom Barry, Michael Collins, and Liam Lynch, played no small part in forcing the then world superpower, Great Britain, to the negotiating table. In reflecting on the benefits of the freedom and political independence which we enjoy today, we should never forget the debt of gratitude we owe to Mellows and his fellow military leaders.

I believe that Liam Mellows would recognise in today's Ireland a country which has vindicated many of his principles and shown what can be achieved through self-determination and the hard-work, enterprise and openness of the Irish people. A self-confident, successful and European State which has many problems, but ones which are dwarfed by those it has overcome.

Our country has seen incredible progress over the last decade. The historic evil of mass unemployment has finally been overcome. Where once we were known throughout the world for emigration, now we are known for innovation. But we can take nothing for granted. We must provide more and better services for this generation and work to build an even brighter future for generations to come.

At the core of this week's Budget was a practical republicanism which reflects the interests of all sections of society. It showed a balance between protecting a successful economy and using the fruits of success to help those in need. We reject the tired ideologies of those of the right and left who believe there is a conflict between a strong economy and a strong society.

I have been in politics for almost thirty years. In all of this time, I have both listened to and helped shape a lot of Budgets. In harder times, some were stringent. This is the most balanced Budget I have seen in a lifetime in politics. This Budget is about giving everyone a chance to succeed. It is a Budget which underlines the determination of this Government to reach out especially to the less well-off and underprivileged in our society.

I am proud of our commitment to reducing taxes in order to allow people take home more of the money they earn. I am also proud of the fact that we have implemented an unprecedented series of increases in support for children and pensioners. But we want improvements to pensions, health and education which can be sustained well into the future and that is why we are determined to invest in areas like infrastructure and research which will decide if we are to be a success not just today, but in the years ahead.

The story of Liam Mellows's death has often been told. The great tragedy of 20th century Ireland was that fundamental differences of opinion arose over the exact terms of the 1921 settlement that could be accepted.

While Liam Mellows vehemently opposed the Treaty, it is important to note that he did all in his power to prevent hostilities. He was part of the Committee of Dáil Eireann that brokered the Collins-DeValera pact and it was only when every effort to preserve the unity of the national movement failed that Mellows determined to oppose the Treaty by force of arms.

Mellows's execution on 8th December, 1922, reverberated around the globe. The New York Nation described it as “murder, foul and despicable and nothing else.” At home, the departures from the rule of law on both sides, during the Civil War, poisoned an important part of national life for a generation.

Politically speaking the civil war is long over. Thankfully, it plays no part in public life today. I sincerely believe that none of the parties in Leinster House today have any desire to revive tragic differences, which blighted our politics for a generation or to diminish the contribution of others. I want now to see that same spirit of generosity permeate further into our study of history.

The Government is strongly of the view that, irrespective of subsequent political differences, when we consider our successful struggle for independence, we should honour the achievement of all those who took part.

No party has a monopoly on Ireland's past. Nor has any one party a monopoly on this State's republican heritage. The Government will continue to foster an expression of our pride as a nation in all those who took part in Easter Week and the subsequent War of Independence. We will commemorate inclusively the greatest generation we have ever produced. We want to celebrate the freedom we achieved. And we want more publicly to recognise all of those who gave us the opportunity to acquire and develop that freedom. This is our national inheritance and it is incumbent on all who value our democracy to join in suitably recognising the bravery, dignity and sacrifice of our forebearers.

I am anxious to progress with a view to making available to historians and to the public, records of the Military Pensions Archive in the Department of Defence. The records relate to the “Old IRA” pensions and number some 17,000 successful applications. These are the detailed records of an entire movement and not just the leadership.

The process of examining these historically significant records and making them fit for release, including possibly in digitalised form, will take many years. It will be a very worthy contribution to the 1916 Rising Centenary commemoration that will be held in 2016.

With competing demands for resources over the years, the preservation and management of these records has never been given a high priority. At Easter, I signalled the Government's commitment that we would now do so.

In this regard, I am delighted that the Minister for Finance has made a special provision in Budget 2007 of €100,000 which will greatly assist in getting this project off the ground. This funding will facilitate the preparation of a detailed project plan for the preservation and public release of these papers. It will also help to identify any group of significant records that might be made ready for early release.

Documents from this period now firmly established that Number 16 Moore Street and the adjacent buildings, at Nos. 14, 15 and 17 are indeed the buildings occupied by the leaders retreating from the GPO at the end of Easter Week.

The historical significance of this building is mostly vividly captured in the moving written account of the surrender given by Nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell who was in 16 Moore Street with Padraig Pearse, the wounded James Connolly, Thomas Clarke, Joseph Plunkett and Sean Mac Dermott. Nurse O'Farrell's contemporaneous account included her witnessing Pearse, comforting a wounded British prisoner in the house, before she took the white flag to the Crown forces at the top of Moore Street. She was the person who brought out the surrender communication ending the Rising to General Lowe, who was in operational control of the British forces.

From a historical, social and political standpoint 16 Moore Street, is of significant national importance. Last year, my colleague Dick Roche asked Dublin City Council that 16 Moore Street, the 1916 leader's “last stand” headquarters, should be preserved and added to the Record of Protected Structures. It gives me great pleasure to announce today that Minister Roche is to declare 16 Moore Street as a National Monument.

The term “national monument” is the highest designation, which can be granted to a site of historic interest by the State. 16 Moore Street will soon rightly join other buildings such as Kilmainham Gaol, St. Enda's in Rathfarnham and Pearse's College in Rosmuc on the national monuments register.

Additionally, as we move towards the centenary of the Rising, I think that there must be a very special consideration of the future use of the GPO in O'Connell Street, involving not only the Post Office itself but the extensive buildings behind it. Possible developments here might include a memorial dedicated to the Rising as well as a museum celebration of Irish progress and achievement across a broad spectrum.

I would like to conclude my remarks today by looking not to the past, but to the immediate future.

I believe that 2007 can be a year as historic as any in our past. For the first time in 400 years, since the Flight of the Earls and the beginning of the Ulster Plantation, there can be agreement between all of the representatives of all the people of this island.

The St Andrews Agreement sets out a clear direction, with clear milestones, for how this can be achieved. I welcome the developments since we met in St Andrews. While nothing is ever simple in Northern Ireland, I think everyone can see we have a clear basis for bringing the peace process to a successful conclusion.

It has been a long and at times frustrating journey. But the obstacles that stand in the way of final resolution are very, very few.

I call on all concerned to meet the challenge of the St Andrews Agreement and to take political responsibility for the future. Do not be persuaded to delay taking the decisions that are now necessary if Northern Ireland is to settle down and be at peace with itself.

I welcome the Sinn Fein commitment to address the policing issue. I know how sensitive this is for them. But they now know that the path to shared government in Northern Ireland passes through a Sinn Fein Ard Fheis at which the policing issue is definitively and successfully addressed.

Given the St Andrews timeline it is clearly important that this Ard Fheis is held as soon as possible thereby creating a new environment where policing in Northern Ireland, which since the Patten Report has been reformed comprehensively, is endorsed and supported by all.

It falls to each generation to make its own decisions, to provide for itself and to build a better Ireland for the future. As with the great generation that gave us our independence, this generation has squared up to the challenges that we face, in the world that we live in today.

The Good Friday Agreement has many important dimensions, but its single most priceless characteristic is that it was endorsed by the people of this island.

This generation has made its own history.

Liam Mellows was not afraid to think about the future of Ireland, to challenge the status quo and to change this country for the better. And neither are we.

We are putting the years of violence, pain and division behind us. We are building an Ireland that we can be proud of, based on political agreement, mutual respect, economic prosperity and strong social solidarity. We are building an Ireland based on our constitutional republican principles.

An Ireland that we can all be proud of.