He said he's encouraged by the extent to which economic, social and political change has been embraced by the people of Ireland. Britain, under Tony Blair, has also embraced change of a far-reaching nature. For Northern Ireland too, the time has come for fundamental change, through a new political dispensation, which will be fair and balanced, which will respect and accommodate both major traditions. We are now into the end game. All these elements are of course interlinked, the underlying principle being that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.
Nobody can get everything they want.
There will have to be a fair and balanced compromise. He said it's encouraging to observe the degree of harmony which exists in Canada between the different Irish traditions. He said that Darcy Magee, one of the founding fathers of Canada and a former Young Irelander, correctly identified conciliation as one of the basic characteristics of Canadian public life and one of Canada's main contributions to international affairs. It is this background, and Canada's own experience as a meeting place for the different Irish traditions, which has enabled Canada to play a constructive role in the peace process. The Irish Government is grateful to the Canadian Government for its continued close interest in and support for the peace process, for its contribution to the International Fund for Ireland, and for its willingness to make a distinguished Canadian, General John de Chastelain, available to serve as one of the co-chairmen of the peace talks.