- Mr President, we stand today at a dramatic moment in the history of Northern Ireland and as a result at a dramatic moment in the history of both Britain and Ireland.

As a British Member of this House, I am only too painfully aware that all my adult life - the last 25 years - has been marked by tragedy, death and destruction in Northern Ireland and sometimes its export to mainland Britain and to other European states as well. And yet I have only read of the cruelty and seen the heartbreak of grieving families on my television screen; for the people of Northern Ireland this has been the dreadful stuff of their daily lives.

This historic moment, when a real chance of lasting peace is before us, must not be lost. Moments like this present not just a window of opportunity but an open door. It requires people of imagination, people of strength of purpose and people of courage to grasp this moment and bring about the peace so desperately wanted by the people of Northern Ireland.

In our midst we have such a man, and the Socialist Group pays tribute to our good colleague, John Hume, whose passionate desire for peace in his community has been instrumental in bringing about this present opportunity.

(Applause)

We salute his personal courage and that of his family, his political fortitude and his vision of what might be.

And in this House we have our role to play. We welcome the report on the agenda today with its positive proposals for Union assistance to help develop the Northern Irish economy. The scourge of unemployment which has accompanied the troubles must be ended if peace is to prosper. And our contribution makes a strong statement of support and encouragement which I know we will all share.

But we have another powerful role, for in this House we see the coming together of European nations who have been traditional enemies; in this House we demonstrate that old enmities can be forgotten and new successful relations forged. It is this evidence of peaceful and developing interdependence that we offer to the people of Northern Ireland as they edge their way carefully and tentatively towards peace.

Mr President, we want to send a message from the floor of this House which matches the dignity, the hope and the power of your own statement which captured the initial flush of excitement for peace two weeks ago in Brussels.

We call on all those involved in the struggle in Northern Ireland, whether political or armed, to come together to recognize the absolute craving for peace and particularly the hopes for a future for the young of Northern Ireland which their families, both Catholic and Protestant, share.

We ask them to come together and talk. There can be no greater prize, no greater, more noble cause than peace. My Group, aware of the trials that lie ahead, of the setbacks which will inevitably occur, and of the persistent effort that will be needed to find a negotiated solution, send our European brothers and sisters in Northern Ireland our heartfelt hopes for the future.

(Applause)