Irish PM welcomes conclusion of Northern Ireland talks

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny on Tuesday welcomed the successful conclusion of the talks process in Northern Ireland.

In a statement, Kenny acknowledged the positive engagement by the parties in the process and their determination to sit down and resolve issues through negotiation.

The talks process since early September addressed the key issue of welfare reform and financial sustainability within Northern Ireland and made important progress on dealing with the legacy of the past.

It also contained clear commitments to achieve a society free of paramilitarism and to work to disband paramilitary groups. Tuesday's agreement contained important measures to tackle cross border organized crime, including a new task force led by police officers from North Ireland, the Irish Republic and revenue officers from both jurisdictions.

"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," he said.

"Today's agreement achieves those goals. It provides a credible roadmap for the implementation of many aspects of the Stormont House Agreement," he added.

The Stormont House Agreement is a political accommodation between the British and Irish governments, and a majority of parties that make up the Northern Ireland Executive.

The agreement was published in December 2014. It is intended to bind the parties and communities closer together on resolving identity issues, coming to a settlement on welfare reform, and on making government finance in Northern Ireland more sustainable. The agreement was named after the building where the negotiations took place. Enditem