Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

When the Good Friday Agreement was signed, I was in my mid-20s. I grew up in a republican family during the conflict and my father was imprisoned for nine years. Like thousands of others who had similar experiences, it was unbelievable to watch television coverage of the negotiations. I recall seeing images of the various negotiators standing in the windows of different rooms in the early hours of the morning. I also recall the drama and the immense achievement of Senator George Mitchell in bringing everybody over the line in the context of finalising the Agreement, which was then overwhelmingly endorsed by the majority of Irish people on both sides of the Border.

That was a moment of great hope. It has been a rocky road since but the institutions are up and running, power-sharing is in place, there has been a new beginning in respect of policing and - despite the activities of a tiny minority of individuals who have no support whatsoever - there is peace in the main. However, that is not enough because it is not what was agreed. The outstanding issues include the failure to introduce a Bill of Rights for the North and an all-Ireland charter of rights, the failure to act on the Weston Park commitment to hold an independent inquiry into the killing of human rights lawyer Pat Finucane and the fact that Marian Price and Martin Corey remain in prison. Whose interest does it serve to imprison people without either trial or access to due process? All this does is to drive some young people into the arms of so-called dissident republican organisations. That is the only eventuality to which the ongoing imprisonment of Marian Price and Martin Corey - without any charges being proffered against them and without their having access to due process - gives rise. I cannot understand why the British Government is adhering to its approach in this regard.

The complacency in respect of this matter is unacceptable. Consider how long it took to arrive at the Good Friday Agreement. If the true potential of the Agreement is to be achieved, then both the Irish and British Governments need to reconsider their attitude. The Irish Government must engage in renewed substantive engagement with its British counterpart in order to progress outstanding issues, including the establishment of a Bill of Rights for the North, an all-Ireland charter of rights and other legislative commitments. Sinn Féin wants a strong, inclusive and effective Bill of Rights to be introduced. This instrument must be capable of helping us move away from a society in which fundamental human rights were systematically trampled upon to one in which they are thoroughly, extensively and enduringly protected and promoted. Fifteen years on from the signing of the Agreement, my party maintains that a meaningful process should be put in place to implement a Bill of Rights that is worthy of the aspiration of all the people regarding a rights-based society which offers protection to the most vulnerable and which respects the diversity of our communities. Equality must be at its very core.

The Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, which is chaired by Deputy McHugh, recently heard from representatives from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Consortium about the failure of the Irish and British Governments to implement the key human rights obligations contained in the Agreement. It is 15 years since the Agreement, which was democratically endorsed by the vast majority of the people on this island who voted for a Bill of Rights for the North and an all-Ireland charter of rights, was signed but we are no further along the road. Despite the democratic demand on the part of the people, both Governments have failed to meet this obligation and that continues to undermine the agreement. A Bill of Rights for the North would be an opportunity to establish fundamental rights for all in our society. Who does not want that? What reason could anyone have for delaying the introduction of a Bill of Rights? Who does not believe in equality? Difficulties with regard to equality were core to the conflict in the first instance and were at the heart of the profound tragedy of 30 years of pain and hurt among people in republication and Nationalist areas, in Britain and across this entire island.

It is sometimes for parties in this House which do not have representation in the North to use this matter as an opportunity to score points and to offer often the most bizarre arguments against Sinn Féin. I appeal to the political parties which support the Good Friday Agreement and which contributed - in some cases significantly - to its development to reflect on the level of engagement which is taking place. The Minister for Justice and Equality used the term "in another jurisdiction". The Irish Government is a co-signatory to the Good Friday Agreement. It is, therefore, a co-guarantor and it has every right to have a view in respect of and have a say on what happens in the Six Counties. It does not need to apologise for that or to refer to "another jurisdiction". Those in government will skilfully, diplomatically and respectfully engage with all parties but there is also a need for frank discussion, particularly as the Agreement is not being honoured in full. We know where complacency led us in the past and we cannot afford to go down that path again.

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