:00:00. > :00:07.The Assembly election was all about RHI and Arlene Foster
:00:08. > :00:09.according to Sinn Fein - but what about this time?
:00:10. > :00:11.On The View tonight, I'll be asking Michelle O'Neill
:00:12. > :00:15.if a vote for her party is a poke in the eye for Brexit -
:00:16. > :00:41.and a warm embrace for an Irish Language Act?
:00:42. > :00:43.It's four weeks today until the election and we now know
:00:44. > :00:45.109 candidates will fight it out for our 18
:00:46. > :00:48.Westminster seats - even if some of those candidates
:00:49. > :00:50.have no intention of taking their places on the House
:00:51. > :00:58.Tonight I'll be asking Michelle O'Neill how she intends
:00:59. > :01:00.to fight London's Brexit plans - and what a mandate for
:01:01. > :01:04.The EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, tells TDs
:01:05. > :01:07.and Senators in Dublin that he wants to avoid a hard border -
:01:08. > :01:11.but offers no guarantees on customs controls.
:01:12. > :01:14.I'll be asking the Fine Gael MEP, Brian Hayes, if what he heard today
:01:15. > :01:23.Mr Hayes joins me from county Wicklow.
:01:24. > :01:26.And with me in the studio, the DUP MEP, Diane Dodds,
:01:27. > :01:30.And ten years on from the historic Paisley-McGuinness devolution day,
:01:31. > :01:36.do recent events demonstrate a failure of leadership?
:01:37. > :01:41.There was an imperative for everybody to get this to work, to
:01:42. > :01:44.ensure peace. I do not think that same imperative is there.
:01:45. > :01:51.Newton Emerson and Deirdre Heenan...
:01:52. > :01:57.Tonight - Michelle O'Neill says she has no problem with legislation
:01:58. > :01:58.to protect Ulster-Scots or British culture, but insists
:01:59. > :02:01.there will have to be an Irish Language Act.
:02:02. > :02:03.Sinn Fein's Stormont leader also says MPs from Northern Ireland
:02:04. > :02:07.who took their seats at Westminster in the past had no influence.
:02:08. > :02:09.When she joined me in the studio earlier this evening,
:02:10. > :02:20.I asked her what this election is about for Sinn Fein...
:02:21. > :02:26.They are taking their lobbying directly to Brussels. The crucial
:02:27. > :02:32.issue of Brexit will be dealt with the kingmakers, it will be the EU
:02:33. > :02:35.member states, 27 member states, we cannot go over and wait for Theresa
:02:36. > :02:39.May to bend down and listen to the issues we have expressed here. She
:02:40. > :02:43.called the election because she wanted a bigger mandate to deal with
:02:44. > :02:46.the Brexit issue as she was concerned people on the opposite
:02:47. > :02:50.benches could derail the process from her point of view. She is
:02:51. > :02:54.concerned about people sitting opposite on the green benches. If
:02:55. > :02:56.you win seats you have the opportunity to be there influencing
:02:57. > :03:01.the debate and knocking her back because that is what you want. But
:03:02. > :03:05.you are not taking that opportunity. You are missing the point, all MPs
:03:06. > :03:08.who are out there have not made a difference. The Tory mandate is
:03:09. > :03:12.large and will be after the mandate. I believe the most effective way of
:03:13. > :03:18.dealing with this is to be in Europe. When attempting to put
:03:19. > :03:23.together an anti-Brexit pact failed here, Sinn Fein asked the LP to
:03:24. > :03:29.stand aside and two consistencies, was attractive about the proposal
:03:30. > :03:33.you made? I was the first leader to ask for an anti-Brexit pact, I
:03:34. > :03:38.believe in this election. We need to maximise the number of anti-Brexit
:03:39. > :03:44.MPs returning. The Alliance party, Green party and SDLP field to come
:03:45. > :03:50.up and be part of the negotiations around that. In the last week I
:03:51. > :03:54.asked the SDLP to stand aside in two constituencies, in South Tyrone and
:03:55. > :03:57.North Belfast where I believe, voters will speak for themselves and
:03:58. > :04:01.numbers speak for themselves. The only real possibility of returning
:04:02. > :04:07.an anti-bracts that candidate and pro-Brexit candidates are the Sinn
:04:08. > :04:11.Fein candidates. It does not matter if any of those pro-Brexit MPs
:04:12. > :04:14.return to Westminster because you say the debate over there does not
:04:15. > :04:19.matter, it does not really matter if Nigel Dodds returns to North Belfast
:04:20. > :04:25.or Tom Elliott returns. Tyrone, that's the logic of what you told
:04:26. > :04:30.me. I believe it is important we return, MPs getting to the bench as
:04:31. > :04:35.Westminster. I gave you a number of examples of how ineffective our MPs
:04:36. > :04:39.are, but... You think your MPs will be more affected by not turning up?
:04:40. > :04:44.They can be effective in many ways, been part of an all Ireland team but
:04:45. > :04:48.I was out in London along with an MP and we met with the Danish
:04:49. > :04:51.Ambassador, the French and Spanish. We are influencing people who will
:04:52. > :04:55.be decision-makers in relation to Brexit. That is why decisions will
:04:56. > :05:01.be taken. Not Westminster. To follow your own logic in another way, you
:05:02. > :05:04.said what you wanted to do in places like Fermanagh South and North
:05:05. > :05:08.Belfast, when you make that offer, you wanted to keep out pro-Brexit
:05:09. > :05:12.MPs, to that logic it means you should have stood aside a candidate
:05:13. > :05:18.in south Belfast which is much more wearable as a seed for the SDLP then
:05:19. > :05:22.North Belfast for Sinn Fein. If you look at the recent assembly
:05:23. > :05:27.elections, it changed the political landscapes. I don't agree it is a
:05:28. > :05:31.foregone conclusion, I believe Mairtin O'Muilleoiur is a unifying
:05:32. > :05:35.candidate. And looking at how he topped the polls in March 2017, his
:05:36. > :05:40.vote was up and that's why you think he will win the seat, the combined
:05:41. > :05:44.vote of the two DUP candidates who stood was 1400 more than Sinn Fein.
:05:45. > :05:49.Rogic is not on your side again? And again I do not agree with you --
:05:50. > :05:53.logic. It is a good thing that politics are changing here. More
:05:54. > :05:57.people are participating in democracy which is a good thing. I
:05:58. > :06:02.believe the South Belfast seat is open for grabs, and I do believe the
:06:03. > :06:05.people of south Belfast have a great candidate in Mairtin O'Muilleoiur...
:06:06. > :06:09.You are happy to run the risk and come back after the election, if
:06:10. > :06:13.Mairtin O'Muilleoiur takes votes from Alasdair McDonnell, an
:06:14. > :06:18.anti-Brexit candidate. You are happy to stand with your decision to run a
:06:19. > :06:21.candidate in Belfast if it means a pro-Brexit candidate is returned
:06:22. > :06:26.instead? You split the nationalist anti-Brexit vote, you are happy with
:06:27. > :06:30.that? Let's be clear. We are going to South Belfast to win that seat...
:06:31. > :06:35.But you might not? We may not win a number of seats be cannot go into an
:06:36. > :06:38.election on that basis. In South Belfast, with Mairtin O'Muilleoiur,
:06:39. > :06:41.I believe he is a unifying candidate... Your logic is Mairtin
:06:42. > :06:50.O'Muilleoiur is a good candidate and should run that risk in South
:06:51. > :06:54.Belfast. And you should have a free run in two of the constituencies? It
:06:55. > :07:01.is clear and the voters know it, that in Fermanagh South and North
:07:02. > :07:04.Belfast, banded Brexit candidate. And we spoke in February, you are
:07:05. > :07:14.clear, you told me, Sinn does that remain your position
:07:15. > :07:19.today? You remember at the time I told you what we were dealing with.
:07:20. > :07:21.An RHI scandal, the potential loss of millions of pounds at the heart
:07:22. > :07:25.of government. Martin McGuinness asked Arlene Foster to stand aside
:07:26. > :07:33.for an investigation and she did not do that. Is your position the same?
:07:34. > :07:37.Martin asked her to stand aside. She refused. The only way to make sure
:07:38. > :07:42.she would was for Martin to place his resignation and he did so. The
:07:43. > :07:46.investigation is ongoing. Our position remains the same. We will
:07:47. > :07:49.never get to the issue of Arlene Foster and her position to any
:07:50. > :07:53.potential executive if we do not do with these issues. If we do not work
:07:54. > :07:57.our way through and into and what is reasonable and implement what has
:07:58. > :08:01.been previously agreed. What we are asking for is people to be given
:08:02. > :08:05.their rights. It is as simple as that. We need that to form the
:08:06. > :08:09.executive. We know that in quarry looks like it could take at least
:08:10. > :08:18.one year. Some think it will take two. -- the enquiry. That could mean
:08:19. > :08:21.no Stormont institutions. They could take a long time, we do not know how
:08:22. > :08:24.long it would take that it is important to get to the bottom of
:08:25. > :08:28.these issues... However long it takes Arlene Foster will not be in
:08:29. > :08:31.the executive. Our position remains the same but we will not get to the
:08:32. > :08:35.position of foreign executive if we don't deal with those outstanding
:08:36. > :08:39.issues. Then we can look at the issue of Arlene Foster. As I speak
:08:40. > :08:43.to you... We can forget the executive? We should not talk about
:08:44. > :08:49.it as if it is a possibility let alone a probability. That is what
:08:50. > :08:52.you are telling us? I believe that politics is about hope and people in
:08:53. > :08:55.the last election ten weeks ago went and voted for their rights. They
:08:56. > :09:01.voted for respect and integrity in government. It's the rise of Arlene
:09:02. > :09:05.Foster to decide whether or not she should be First Minister of stuff
:09:06. > :09:13.onto is up and running again? I will work with Arlene Foster everyday as
:09:14. > :09:17.leader of the DUP -- Stormont. But I believe, I told you this last time I
:09:18. > :09:21.was on the programme, there are ways for the DUP, if they want to power
:09:22. > :09:24.shower and establish an executive, based on the principles of the Good
:09:25. > :09:27.Friday Agreement and deliver for the citizens as intended, we need to do
:09:28. > :09:31.that. You spoke about rights, which are
:09:32. > :09:35.very important to you and you say to your voters. The Irish language
:09:36. > :09:40.clearly is an issue that Sinn Fein and the DUP see different look. Two
:09:41. > :09:48.weeks ago, you will have seen Arlene Foster visiting an Irish language
:09:49. > :09:50.class and she met Irish language activists from Pobal and Conradh na
:09:51. > :09:54.Gaelige as well. She says she is reaching out to that
:09:55. > :09:58.community. What do you think? I welcome those visits, it should not
:09:59. > :10:03.be newsworthy she is doing it but it is important, it shows that she is
:10:04. > :10:06.reaching out. But unfortunately I think we have conflicting messages.
:10:07. > :10:10.On one hand she is meeting groups and on the other hand, we have
:10:11. > :10:17.Gregory Campbell and councillors in Belfast... She is the leader of the
:10:18. > :10:21.DUP? Yes, but she is engaging and you want to understand, that's all
:10:22. > :10:24.very positive and I welcome that... With respect to Gregory Campbell,
:10:25. > :10:31.you said there would be no Irish Language Act be said there
:10:32. > :10:37.-- he did not close the door down entirely. That strikes a chord with
:10:38. > :10:42.what Arlene Foster has said? If you look at Gregory Campbell's track
:10:43. > :10:46.record, the insoles that he continually throws at Irish language
:10:47. > :10:51.and culture... He is one person in the DUP... Not saying the same thing
:10:52. > :10:55.as Arlene Foster? It's important that you distance yourself from
:10:56. > :10:59.unhelpful comments. If Arlene Foster is genuine and serious, we need more
:11:00. > :11:04.than fluffy words. We need action. If Arlene Foster agree to an Irish
:11:05. > :11:08.Language Act, would you agree to protect Ulster Scots and Orange
:11:09. > :11:11.culture? That would respect the rights of a different part of the
:11:12. > :11:15.community? I'm all about equality and affording people their rights.
:11:16. > :11:24.That's what a good government should be about. I'm very open... You are
:11:25. > :11:27.happy to tie this things together? It belongs to everybody, let's
:11:28. > :11:30.respect everyone's right. We cannot have ministers taking bigoted and
:11:31. > :11:34.sectarian decisions against one section and the next.
:11:35. > :11:37.I am quite open and for doing something in relation to Ulster
:11:38. > :11:47.Scots if there is the demand. I've said from day one. But appearing as
:11:48. > :11:50.you did recently in Loughgall to commemorate what happened there 30
:11:51. > :11:53.years ago when members of the IRA went to kill police officers and
:11:54. > :11:56.they themselves were killed on that occasion, when you stand on a
:11:57. > :12:00.platform and say you are proud of those people and what they set out
:12:01. > :12:03.to do, that does not help people believe you when you say that you
:12:04. > :12:07.are interested in the rights of everyone, can you see that?
:12:08. > :12:11.Everybody has the right to remember the dead. I think it is important to
:12:12. > :12:16.respect that. Do you have to remember the dead in such a public
:12:17. > :12:19.wake and a provocative way, as the victims of IRA violence? Everybody
:12:20. > :12:24.has a right to remember their dead. Nobody is dispute it is how you do
:12:25. > :12:30.it... We respect each other's right to remember you're dead.
:12:31. > :12:35.That is through proper reconciliation, people died in the
:12:36. > :12:42.conflict. One mother 's grief and pain is no more or less than others.
:12:43. > :12:45.It's not something new I have taken up, or something that Martin
:12:46. > :12:50.McGuinness shied away from. It's part of who we are. What is your
:12:51. > :12:56.message to those women sitting there who lost husbands, sons and brothers
:12:57. > :13:03.over the last 40 years... I regret every loss of life, I regret that
:13:04. > :13:06.mothers have lost their son and daughter, mother and father, it is
:13:07. > :13:10.important we respect people have a right remember the dead. It does not
:13:11. > :13:15.matter who you are. If we respect that difference, that is how we can
:13:16. > :13:17.reconcile as a society... You are in a position of leadership and
:13:18. > :13:25.influence where you to take on board how it is viewed across society. And
:13:26. > :13:29.perhaps alter the way in which you commemorate those people, not stop
:13:30. > :13:33.commemorating them but changing the way in which you do that? I think it
:13:34. > :13:38.is important we respect that we all do things differently and remember
:13:39. > :13:42.different. If I go to a commemoration it is respectful and
:13:43. > :13:47.dignified. As a political leader, I will not be shy averaging out and I
:13:48. > :13:53.will make sure I understand that everybody has had and pain. I'm
:13:54. > :13:57.happy to do that but as I said, it's my job to make sure it never happens
:13:58. > :14:02.again. Now, Brexit, a key part of the election. You were in Dublin
:14:03. > :14:05.today and met the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier, did you
:14:06. > :14:09.hear anything from him that gave you cause for optimism as to what lies
:14:10. > :14:13.ahead for those in Northern Ireland? Yes, it was great to see him in
:14:14. > :14:19.Dublin today, I could speak to him after. It was really important,
:14:20. > :14:22.important that we impress on other EU leaders, they will be the
:14:23. > :14:27.kingmakers in relation to Brexit and the terms of Brexit. It's important
:14:28. > :14:34.we influence those people. He is a clear understanding of a bus needing
:14:35. > :14:38.special recognition -- he has a clear understanding of us. If you
:14:39. > :14:46.look to other examples, like Denmark and Greenland, you can appoint where
:14:47. > :14:51.we have been flexible, and we've been able to see other examples...
:14:52. > :14:53.You said that you do not want a boarder at all on the island of
:14:54. > :14:59.Ireland, he said that there would have to be some sort of customs
:15:00. > :15:04.control set up by the EU rather than the UK but they will be there.
:15:05. > :15:07.Whether you like it or not there will be a boarder? I'm absolutely
:15:08. > :15:12.opposed to any sort of border on the island, that is a retrograde step...
:15:13. > :15:16.But I do believe that the reason that we are in this scenario is
:15:17. > :15:18.because the British public are only interest in themselves. The Tory
:15:19. > :15:24.governor do not care what happens here. -- government. I think the
:15:25. > :15:28.factories and they called this election at a moment in time where
:15:29. > :15:34.we were building up some steam in the talks process shows blatant
:15:35. > :15:38.disregard. The influence we need to bring to bear is in Europe, Brussels
:15:39. > :15:41.and where other EU member states are.
:15:42. > :15:51.We know that after the election, we have been told by the Secretary of
:15:52. > :15:53.State, renewed talks to try to get the devolved institutions again,
:15:54. > :16:01.what are people going to the voting for? Then mandate to go back into
:16:02. > :16:07.government that Stormont, or not? Always to go back into government.
:16:08. > :16:14.This, it marks ten years since Martin McGuinness and Ian Paisley
:16:15. > :16:21.had been power sharing again. It has to work as intended. I want to get
:16:22. > :16:23.back to the executive. We are contending with conservative cuts,
:16:24. > :16:29.people robbing the health service. It is important. I believe that
:16:30. > :16:35.people want the executive to work, but we have got to deliver rights.
:16:36. > :16:44.It has got to work on an equal basis. What is the seat target? You
:16:45. > :16:49.had four. How many would you regard as a success on June nine? I am not
:16:50. > :16:57.going to get you a number, but we are looking to maintain the four,
:16:58. > :17:05.and we have targeted constituencies. I want to maximise the anti Brexit
:17:06. > :17:10.candidates. You have got to come back with more than four. People
:17:11. > :17:15.should come out in the selection, and make voices heard, against
:17:16. > :17:22.conservative austerity, and the position, ignoring the will of the
:17:23. > :17:27.people. And next week, I am going to be talking to the DUP leader Arlene
:17:28. > :17:28.Foster. Now as Ms O'Neill mentioned,
:17:29. > :17:31.the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, was in Dublin
:17:32. > :17:33.where he addressed both houses While Monsieur Barnier
:17:34. > :17:37.said he wanted to work to prevent a hard border here,
:17:38. > :17:39.he acknowledged that customs controls are part
:17:40. > :17:41.of EU border management. Tomorrow he'll visit
:17:42. > :17:43.a food processing business Joining me now from Wicklow
:17:44. > :17:47.is the Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes and in the studio,
:17:48. > :17:59.the DUP MEP Diane Dodds... Welcome. Republic economy,
:18:00. > :18:05.particularly vulnerable to any new regulatory barriers with the native
:18:06. > :18:11.kingdom that could arise as a result of Brexit. Have you gotten off from
:18:12. > :18:16.Michel Barnier to calm nerves? I think it was positive speech,
:18:17. > :18:22.reflecting the work of the Irish government across all of the EU
:18:23. > :18:24.institutions, making sure that going into these negotiations the
:18:25. > :18:31.guidelines are going to be clearer, in terms of highlighting the
:18:32. > :18:35.problems for Ireland. North and south, the importance of the Good
:18:36. > :18:41.Friday agreement, and the importance of the free movement of people and
:18:42. > :18:48.goods across the border. He has been aware of that. The former budget
:18:49. > :18:51.commissioner, responsible for peace funding in Northern Ireland, and he
:18:52. > :18:57.knows Ireland, north and south, and once we get through this collection
:18:58. > :19:05.we want to see if we can get the Stormont executive running again and
:19:06. > :19:09.get some great possessions. The north in the south, east west.
:19:10. > :19:12.Across the sea. Making sure that we have got an agreed approach. If that
:19:13. > :19:18.came from the island of Ireland, north south, the European
:19:19. > :19:21.institutions and Michel Barnier especially would be looking at that
:19:22. > :19:28.differently. It is an important responsibility to get this working
:19:29. > :19:35.again, after the British elections so that the parties can come to some
:19:36. > :19:41.agreement, going forward. So much to lose, north south, but I was
:19:42. > :19:48.delighted to see Arlene Foster said that she wants to have the softest
:19:49. > :19:51.possible Brexit. She is from the border community and knows the
:19:52. > :19:57.importance of the free movement of people. We can work together to make
:19:58. > :20:00.sure that at the end of this process, Brexit does not cause the
:20:01. > :20:09.difficulties some people have suggested. And we have heard
:20:10. > :20:21.Michelle making the point, that she does not want any sort of Brexit,
:20:22. > :20:25.border? Cuckoo land? We were walking across the border north south, south
:20:26. > :20:30.north, since the Good Friday agreement and the peace process,
:20:31. > :20:34.that region has flourished, in terms of the number of people employed and
:20:35. > :20:37.the private sector economy. It is really important from all
:20:38. > :20:44.perspectives that we do not have customs posts, revenue officials,
:20:45. > :20:49.that we actually have this freestanding border. Soul that
:20:50. > :20:55.people can move on both sides. That is important south of the border,
:20:56. > :20:59.and north. I think we can achieve that but the crucial thing, the
:21:00. > :21:04.absolute responsibility on the parties in Northern Ireland to work
:21:05. > :21:09.with the government and colleagues in London to get solutions. The
:21:10. > :21:14.Europeans are looking for solutions. Michel Barnier emphasised, going to
:21:15. > :21:23.have to be some form of customs controls, between Northern Ireland
:21:24. > :21:28.and Europe, after Brexit. It well have consequences. What do you make
:21:29. > :21:35.of that? I thought the speech from Michel Barnier was very typical of
:21:36. > :21:41.the man, he has spent his life promoting Federalist, European Union
:21:42. > :21:45.integration. I am not surprised that he stole the virtues of the EU in
:21:46. > :21:55.Dublin. But it was a very pragmatic speech. In Brussels, London, Dublin,
:21:56. > :22:03.and from the DUP, nobody wants a hard border. We want cooperation,
:22:04. > :22:12.treat, we want the effective use of where we are now. You have said you
:22:13. > :22:19.do not want the hard border. He said there will be consequences. Do you
:22:20. > :22:23.accept that? Yes. And he also said that he had desires to negotiate an
:22:24. > :22:34.ambitious trade agreement. Remember, it is in the EU's interests,
:22:35. > :22:41.Brian's, beef farmers, dairy, two actually have that free trade with
:22:42. > :22:48.the Great Britain market. 60% of Irish beef goes to market in GB.
:22:49. > :22:54.Northern Ireland, and the importance of the British market, I have been
:22:55. > :22:59.at Balmoral this week, spending my last few days there. Many food
:23:00. > :23:06.processors have said we have to concentrate on the market, grow
:23:07. > :23:11.markets, and have a free trade agreement, axis. You think you can
:23:12. > :23:16.have the best of both worlds. Many people have said we can manage the
:23:17. > :23:24.challenges, maximise opportunities that Brexit brings. You do not want
:23:25. > :23:29.to have your cake and eat it? You do not want to talk about potential
:23:30. > :23:32.difficulties? I think that we are starting from a good position. I
:23:33. > :23:38.have met Michel Barnier on many occasions. And in Brussels, the
:23:39. > :23:43.special considerations, the need geography, the history, it is well
:23:44. > :23:49.known. I think we can work together with those in Dublin. We will be
:23:50. > :23:55.with London, to actually do that. And the one thing that I absolutely
:23:56. > :23:59.agree with Brian about, the fundamental that is more sing in
:24:00. > :24:06.love this, it is devolved government in Ireland that would actually
:24:07. > :24:09.advocate for Northern Ireland. Today, at Balmoral, we're talking
:24:10. > :24:19.about the potential agricultural bill. We need a northern Ireland
:24:20. > :24:21.agricultural Minister, working. I cannot find many people who would
:24:22. > :24:28.disagree with that. And Michelle said that she wants to get back into
:24:29. > :24:41.government. You all want that, but not necessarily on how to achieve
:24:42. > :24:46.this. Do you agree, there is a way to square the circle. The special
:24:47. > :24:50.status for Northern Ireland, something that suits the European
:24:51. > :24:55.Union, Northern Ireland, and people living and working in Northern
:24:56. > :25:02.Ireland. It is the job of politicians north and south, east to
:25:03. > :25:09.west, to solve problems. We represent ordinary people in all
:25:10. > :25:13.constituencies, and the reality of Brexit was brought upon us, not by
:25:14. > :25:17.the people of Northern Ireland but British people by and large have
:25:18. > :25:22.been spot on the question. We have got to do with this. And actually
:25:23. > :25:26.solve the problem. I think we can solve those problems in a more
:25:27. > :25:34.comprehensive way, working together. North south, east west, coming up
:25:35. > :25:39.with solutions. Should we be talking about that, examining that? People
:25:40. > :25:43.have said that is the way forward? Other people, dismissive, but
:25:44. > :25:51.frankly the ball do not even agree what it is? Words on a page mean
:25:52. > :25:57.different things to different people. I am more concerned with the
:25:58. > :26:03.problems, regarding the border, hard Brexit. In terms of the divorce
:26:04. > :26:09.settlement, over the course of the next 18 months, we have a short time
:26:10. > :26:13.to do this, in terms of the European Union budget, and the liabilities
:26:14. > :26:17.themselves. It has got to be resolved. And what we need is an
:26:18. > :26:22.absolute priority, the longest possible transitional phase, so that
:26:23. > :26:29.we can say to people, virtually no change, that would help businesses,
:26:30. > :26:34.agriculture, supply, to get the best possible deal that we can. We have
:26:35. > :26:38.got to be pragmatic and realistic. I want to go back to you for one final
:26:39. > :26:43.thought. One of your colleagues is on record that he supports the
:26:44. > :26:51.special status for the island of Ireland. Agree or a lone voice?
:26:52. > :26:57.Nobody in Brussels, London, actually talking about the idea of special
:26:58. > :27:02.status, whatever that means. What we are talking about, some special
:27:03. > :27:04.considerations for the unique problems, challenges, and
:27:05. > :27:10.circumstances that Northern Ireland finds itself having. Northern
:27:11. > :27:15.Ireland will leave the European Union, with the rest of the United
:27:16. > :27:17.Kingdom and we need to go forward, getting the best deal that we can.
:27:18. > :27:20.Interesting. Thank you. This week saw the tenth
:27:21. > :27:22.anniversary of the restoration The return of the Assembly in 2007
:27:23. > :27:26.was seen by many as a high point in the Northern Ireland political
:27:27. > :27:28.process. But now we're in a halfway
:27:29. > :27:57.house between devolution Wonderful memories. The stable,
:27:58. > :28:01.shared community. Everybody was working together for the benefit of
:28:02. > :28:08.everyone in Northern Ireland. I was so happy I could play a part. We had
:28:09. > :28:18.hard work there, alongside the St Andrews talks. The images, powerful.
:28:19. > :28:24.But it was a feeling, that day, that the future was bright. All that.
:28:25. > :28:31.About time! Because all of those trips to great houses in in England,
:28:32. > :28:38.trying to agreement, the elections, people thoroughly fed up with
:28:39. > :28:46.politics by that stage. I think it was a tremendous amount of hope.
:28:47. > :28:53.People had become despondent. But to say these things resolved, and it
:28:54. > :28:58.was clear to staff the DUP and Sinn Fein had come to some agreement, the
:28:59. > :29:17.process was about getting the correct financial package.
:29:18. > :29:25.The difference between now and then, then a process was in place. But for
:29:26. > :29:34.a period of months it was obvious that we had a process, this time it
:29:35. > :29:42.is not so clear. I think that if we had even, the people I knew,
:29:43. > :29:49.including Dr Paisley and Martin McGuinness, I knew them both well...
:29:50. > :29:55.If we had people of that experience, stature, and with that tolerance, we
:29:56. > :30:02.could have got further. These two, warriors. Seen it all. And they
:30:03. > :30:06.wanted to stop seeing that. An imperative for everybody, to get
:30:07. > :30:12.this to work, to ensure peace. I do not think that seem imperative is
:30:13. > :30:13.there. The parties do not have the same means as the people who started
:30:14. > :30:16.this. Dennis Murray ending that
:30:17. > :30:18.look at how things have Right back up to date now
:30:19. > :30:30.with Professor Deirdre Heenan Just going back to that, that
:30:31. > :30:34.interview with Michelle, one thing that struck me that was potentially
:30:35. > :30:40.interesting, she said that she would back legislative protection for
:30:41. > :30:43.Ulster Scots but you had to have a language act? thought it was
:30:44. > :30:48.interesting she had no problem with that. No issues around legislative
:30:49. > :30:54.detection. Although later on, she was quite dismissive of Arlene
:30:55. > :30:58.Foster's attempts at reconciliation, I thought she was paradoxical in the
:30:59. > :31:01.sense that she said on one hand it was important to vote for Sinn Fein
:31:02. > :31:05.to ensure product that candidates did not get their seats. And on the
:31:06. > :31:13.other hand saying it does not matter as they have no power anyway.
:31:14. > :31:18.Reaching out to consolidate comments and then withdrawing it. It was all
:31:19. > :31:23.over the place. There has clearly been movement on the language, no
:31:24. > :31:28.pun intended, by the DUP and Sinn Fein, the Irish Language Act,
:31:29. > :31:34.cultural, does it stand alone? Can you combine the two? Of course, Sinn
:31:35. > :31:38.Fein said it was not a red line, they refused to say the Irish
:31:39. > :31:42.Language Act as a red line. There is plenty of scope for movement. That
:31:43. > :31:45.does not mean it will happen. If you are optimistic you would say that
:31:46. > :31:50.that may mean that devolution is more attainable than perhaps we
:31:51. > :31:54.previously thought. Then, there is the red line about Arlene Foster.
:31:55. > :32:01.That has not changed more than three months ago? I agree, there appears
:32:02. > :32:08.to be more wiggle room. But when you listen to the whole thing it was
:32:09. > :32:11.pessimistic. They were not moving around their insistence that Arlene
:32:12. > :32:15.Foster would not lead the party and government. With the election, we
:32:16. > :32:19.took the eye off the ball and it was a serviceable performance by
:32:20. > :32:25.Michelle O'Neill, juggling this and keeping it going. After all of these
:32:26. > :32:29.talks, we are in this vacuum with no original government because of
:32:30. > :32:32.respect and pride issues that really should not be blocking important
:32:33. > :32:35.decisions. I do not think it is sustainable to keep the deadlock
:32:36. > :32:39.going for much longer without it causing really serious problems. I
:32:40. > :32:43.do not think we can stay in no man's land. We are either indirect rule
:32:44. > :32:49.all we are not. We are in the process of getting more direct rule
:32:50. > :32:56.and at the same time, we need to get more executive back. The interview
:32:57. > :32:59.said we are not as this could take up to two years but there is no
:33:00. > :33:15.movement saying we will push forward with devolution. Let's talk about
:33:16. > :33:18.Michel Barnier. A mention of customs and realism perhaps with all
:33:19. > :33:23.concerned from the EU's chief negotiators. Is that how you see it?
:33:24. > :33:34.Let's not get hung up on that term special status. Europe uses the term
:33:35. > :33:37.to cover what it has to make. But whatever happens here, they will be
:33:38. > :33:42.called special status... People here do not agree on what special status
:33:43. > :33:47.means. You saw that with Diane Dodds? They disagree on whether they
:33:48. > :33:50.can use that term special status. It's a stupid argument, we have to
:33:51. > :33:54.use it. It is the content which is the issue. It was interesting that
:33:55. > :33:59.Diane referred to special status and said that there would not be special
:34:00. > :34:03.status. What is the difference? Only semantics. There needs to be a
:34:04. > :34:07.creative solution. A stand-alone act or a culture act. I thought what was
:34:08. > :34:11.interesting was that he was saying that they do not have a solution.
:34:12. > :34:16.They do not have one. Asking people to be creative and flexible, I do
:34:17. > :34:20.not agree with Brian Hayes all, they have not been adapted in the past at
:34:21. > :34:25.all. It's up to society in the broader sense to say that they are
:34:26. > :34:29.removing Brexit, how can we make it work? And Charlie Flanagan, the
:34:30. > :34:34.Republic's Foreign Minister saying to the BBC on HardTalk an open
:34:35. > :34:40.border is a must in all circumstances? Customs can mean many
:34:41. > :34:45.different things, the idea that the peace process would disrupt that is
:34:46. > :34:47.observed. Thank you to both of you. -- absurd.
:34:48. > :34:49.That's it from The View for this week.
:34:50. > :34:51.Join me for Sunday Politics at 11.35 here on BBC1.
:34:52. > :34:54.One of the stories of the week was the photograph of the former
:34:55. > :34:56.Ulster Unionist leader, Mike Nesbitt, lying prone
:34:57. > :35:00.on the floor of a hotel lobby - and that reminded us of a few other
:35:01. > :35:02.incidents where political big shots hit the deck.
:35:03. > :35:46.# We tumble and fall # Together we crawl
:35:47. > :36:00.# For ever will be... # Tumble and fall #
:36:01. > :36:03.It's the biggest event of the year for road racing fans.
:36:04. > :36:09.Engage gear, watch the lights, ready for the start.