The Fine Gael deputy leader, Mrs Nora Owen, recalled her family's historical past when the latest developments in the implementation of the Belfast Agreement were welcomed by all sides of the House.

"It is a momentous day," said Mrs Owen, "for the people of Northern Ireland, the Republic and Great Britain, many of whom have suffered down through the years and continue to suffer."

Congratulating the Government, she said they must build on what had happened. "This is a great day for Ireland and I am mindful of the fact that this agreement has come into force without the bloodshed, civil war and fighting which my granduncle, Michael Collins, faced when he came back from Downing Street in 1921.

"I hope all of us here will benefit from what has happened; that the young people of Ireland will realise the work of all who have played their part down through the years in bringing about this peace, the governments, ministers and the people who are gone to their reward.

"I hope that as we move into the new millennium we have seen the end of violence."

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, informed the House of the political developments which had taken place in Government Buildings and Iveagh House earlier.

"I agree very much with Deputy Owen when she said that this has been achieved without more violence. We have had enough of that.

"In recent weeks, I was reading reports of deaths in Northern Ireland over the past 200 years. Sometimes we forget that when considering the 30 years of conflict in our own generation. When one considers the period from 1798 onwards, the recorded death toll is horrific, even though I am sure that not all such deaths were recorded."

The Labour deputy leader, Mr Brendan Howlin, congratulated the Taoiseach, his predecessors, the Government and former governments.

"We use the words historic and momentous too freely in this House, but nobody could deny the correctness of the use of those words today. For most of us, it was unthinkable just a short number of years ago that Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution would be amended with such little fuss."

Mr Trevor Sargent (Green Party, Dublin North) and Mr Joe Higgins (Socialist Party, Dublin West) also welcomed the latest developments.