Taoiseach Welcomes 'Successful' Conclusion Of NI Talks

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has welcomed the conclusion of talks in Northern Ireland, which he said have been "successful".

The talks were held to address issues of welfare reform and financial stability in Northern Ireland. They also sought to make clear commitments to achieve a society free of paramilitarism and to work to disband paramilitary groups.

The Taoiseach said : "When PM Cameron and I convened these talks in early September, our key concerns were to advance the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement as well as addressing the trust and confidence issues arising from the impact and legacy of paramilitary activity.

"(The) Agreement achieves those goals. It provides a credible roadmap for the implementation of many aspects of the Stormont House Agreement.

"It tackles the toxic  legacy of paramilitarism and its links to criminality. The Agreement provides the people of Northern Ireland with a chance to have the burden of thuggery, intimidation and sectarian hatred taken off their backs once and for all. A chance for peace to mean more than the absence of violence, 21 years after the ceasefires.  A chance for a prosperous and inclusive society to flourish to its full potential.

"The Irish Government and our law enforcement agencies will play our full part in implementing these elements of the Agreement including tackling organised crime on a cross-border basis.  

"We will also continue to invest in the all island economy and the people of the Border region and the North West. We are delighted that our commitments under this Agreement will see completion of the first part of the A5 motorway, which will help unlock the full potential of the North West of the island.

"However, as always, this Agreement will ultimately be judged on implementation. As co-guarantors of the Agreements, the Irish and UK Governments will continue to work closely together to further consolidate peace and reconciliation in the North and to further the process of normalisation."

(MH/CD)