Gerry Adams and Bertie Ahern appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday. Ahern and former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams spoke to the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs about the Irish peace process and whether its lessons could be of use in the Middle East and elsewhere. Ahern said that during the Irish peace process the Mitchell Principles established the rule that parties involved in violence could not be at the table. The Mitchell Principles were “crucial” to the Irish peace process, so talks based on similar rules should be looked at in the Middle East and in conflicts elsewhere, such as Africa. In his opening remarks, Ahern said it was virtually impossible to create a peace process without parties who were committed to resolving the conflict.

Source: The Irish Times February 24, 2026 20:44 UTC