It wasn't too difficult to see that [Ian] Paisley would never do anything positive.

We had the IRA ceasefire in August 1994 and a lot of people assumed that a deal had been done - which wasn't right.

Politics can be likened to driving at night over unfamiliar hills and mountains. Close attention must be paid to what the beam can reach and the next bend.

The one thing I can assure you is that I'm not going to do a Prescott.

During the 1996 Forum election my election agent, John Dobson, told me that at some stage down the line we were going to have to talk to the IRA and that I was the man to do it. And my reaction was not printable!

The decision to give an indicative date for a return is a mistake. It degrades the process. It degrades human life.

I knew what I had to do as party leader had to be sensible and relate to the real situation we were in, rather than a situation you would like to have.