Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In fact, it was the Taoiseach's speech I was about to read; it was not actually the Tánaiste's speech. Some 25 years ago, the signing of the Good Friday Agreement transcended the past and changed the future for us all. After more than three decades of a terrible conflict, the agreement delivered a peace that had looked impossible. It ushered in a new era of hope, opportunity and progress for an entire generation and utterly transformed Ireland for the better. The Good Friday Agreement is a gift from a generation of courageous peacemakers to this generation. It is one that we must protect and advance.

In the spring of 1998, political and community leaders from all sides overcame bitter division. They met the test of leadership to make things better for our children. Twenty-five years on, we are again challenged with this very test, to again reach out the hand of friendship, trust, and partnership. The challenge that has now crystallised for all of us today is how to recreate the spirit of 1998. We need a renewed commitment from all political leaders that we will work together, that we will share power together and that we will have a government that will work in the interests of everyone.

We need to restore the agreement’s political institutions in the North. Almost a year on from the Assembly election, we need a functioning government, we need the North-South bodies up and running, and we need the east-west relationship back on a sustainable footing. Critical to this goal is a consistent and deeper interest from both Irish and British Governments, something which has slipped in recent years, and we need to reset all of that. Above all, we need a decision from the DUP. The DUP is now at a crossroads and a moment of decision. I hope that the decision they make is the right one because it is unconscionable that we stay in this limbo and that things continue to drift. My message to the DUP is clear - join with Sinn Féin and other parties to restore the political institutions. Together, we can make politics work for everyone. As we look to the future, this has never been more important. I believe Ireland will be changed and changed utterly 25 years hence. We can have, we should have, and we need to work for an Ireland that is prosperous and leads the way in so many different aspects of life.

Today's findings from the Ombudsman's inquiry into the murder of Councillor Patsy Kelly 50 years ago recall for us the pain of conflict and show how truth and reconciliation must be cornerstones of the better future we build together. I wish to record my support for the family's call for an inquest to uncover exactly what happened Patsy.

Creidim go mbainfimid Éire aontaithe amach. Ní bóthar éasca atá romhainn ach ceann atá lán dóchais. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go mbeadh meas againn go léir ar thuairimí agus ar dhearcthaí gach uile dhuine sa phróiseas seo. It is my strong view that we need a conversation now about what orderly, peaceful, democratic, constitutional change looks like. That is why the Government must establish a citizens’ assembly on Irish reunification. We need to give people the chance to engage, to come and say their piece, and I include in that our citizens who are unionists. For those who are British in a partitioned Ireland and who will be British in a united Ireland to have their say, to have an equal stake is the most incredible opportunity for our island. This is a time for respect and reconciliation. It is in that spirit and staying true to her pledge to be a First Minister for all, that my colleague, Michelle O’Neill, will attend the coronation of the British King Charles next month. I do not think we could ever overstate what can be achieved in the next 25 years if we are united, if we have common purpose, if we have patience, if we have respect for each other, if we honour still the fundamental pillars of the Good Friday Agreement, but say also that there is no limit to where we can go and no boundary to our ambitions.

In the spring of 1998, a generation reached for hope and a new way forward. Through the Good Friday Agreement, they wrote a ground-breaking chapter in Ireland’s story. Today, it falls to our generation to write ours. Here in our time, we can build a united nation home. We can realise the promise of a better tomorrow. It is an opportunity we must seize with both hands.

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