Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is appropriate that 15 years on we should note progress and renew commitment to the Good Friday Agreement in this House. The Government's amendment stresses that it continues to work towards the observation and implementation of human rights principles. As has been outlined by other Deputies in their contributions, the human rights of prisoners in the North are being abused on a daily basis. Martin Corey, Marian Price and the Craigavon Two are all having their human rights abused. The Government needs to step up to the mark on this and ensure it deals proactively with the British Administration because the Secretary of State is overruling the court system in the Six Counties to ensure these prisoner are kept in custody. This is internment. Holding prisoners without any notice of charge, trial date or attempt to bring them to trial is an abuse of human rights. This Government needs to ensure this is addressed and to deal with it very proactively.

The purpose of the Good Friday Agreement was to remove the circumstances that caused the conflict in the first place, but the British Government is leaving the potential for martyrs and undermining people's confidence in the justice system. The justice system has to be an integral part of any peace process and the workings of the Good Friday Agreement. I am a member of the North-South Interparliamentary Association which was established under the Agreement and it took many years - since before my time in the House - to get it up and running and to get agreement from the Northern side to establish it. We have recently had our second meeting in Stormont and it shows the potential that is there for reconciliation to take place and the breaking down of barriers where we can come together and discuss issues that are of mutual concern and that can be grown and developed. It is a very worthwhile process.

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