Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 June 2023
143. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he continues to explore and promote the values of the Good Friday Agreement with authorities and voluntary groups in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28839/23]
View answerThe Good Friday Agreement is the agreed framework for relations across these islands. At the heart of the Agreement is parity of esteem, and a set of values which enable relations to be taken forward meaningfully, including a shared commitment to mutual respect and the civil and religious rights of all. It affirms the right to pursue democratically national and political aspirations, including constitutional change by peaceful, legitimate means. It also affirms the right to freely chose one's place of residence, the right to equal opportunity, the right to freedom from sectarian harassment, and the right of women to full political participation. To assist in vindicating these rights and values, and as provided for in the Agreement, institutions were created in both jurisdictions to strengthen the protection of human rights and to promote equality.
These values inform how my Department engages with authorities and voluntary groups across Northern Ireland, and relationships across these islands more generally.
It is a matter of great regret that, twenty-five years on, the institutions of the Agreement are not being allowed to deliver to their full capacity for the benefit of the people of this island. As co-guarantor of the Agreement, the Government takes seriously our responsibility to proactively engage with all partners to resolve this situation, which is why last week I engaged again with the Northern Ireland political parties and with the Secretary of State, reiterating the urgent need for a restoration of the power-sharing institutions.
In my discussions with the Secretary of State, I reiterated the Government's continuing opposition to the British government's unilateral Legacy Bill, which I believe does not, as proposed, sufficiently acknowledge and address the suffering of victims of violence which the Agreement says is a necessary element of reconciliation, and falls short of vindicating the human rights of all.
My Department continues to support, through the Reconciliation Fund and the new Shared Island Civic Society Fund, a wide variety of community and civil society organisations working to advance the shared, reconciled society promised by the Good Friday Agreement. This engagement and support of civil society is taken forward in the framework of the Agreement, as is made explicitly clear in the Reconciliation Fund Strategy (2021-2024) and the approach underpinning the Civic Society Fund. As part of my regular contact with community and civil society organisations in Northern Ireland, I last week met with East Belfast GAA and the Museum of Orange Heritage to hear about the valuable work that they do in their communities.
