Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank my party colleague for sharing time. In recent weeks, we have heard multiple times about how an entire generation has grown up without ever knowing the strife, murder and carnage that dominated the 1970s through to the early 1990s. We rightly celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and the principal architects of an agreement that ultimately brought to an end one of Europe's most deadly and enduring campaigns of violence. Across the world, our efforts inspired many other countries mired in strife and turmoil with an enduring message of hope. Building a permanent peace and prosperity, shared by all on this island, must remain an essential and foundational role of all political leaderships.

In recent weeks, we have rightly lauded so many of the personalities who devoted their lives' work to the attainment of peace on this island, most notable among them John Hume and Seamus Mallon. Having grown up, however, in the shadow of one of the early architects of the peace we now enjoy on this island, it would be remiss of me not to take this opportunity to single out the vision, belief and determination of one man, Albert Reynolds. Sadly, his tenure as Taoiseach was all too short, but on the night he took over as leader of our party, Fianna Fáil, he told those closest to him that he was absolutely committed and determined to achieve peace on the island of Ireland. It was a determination and resolve dismissed as fanciful by many, yet in December of this year, we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Downing Street Declaration. Everyone agrees it was the bedrock of the Good Friday Agreement and an important and decisive first step that would never have happened had it not been for Albert Reynolds. It was the Downing Street Declaration that underpinned the right of the people of Ireland to self-determination and to the promise that Northern Ireland would be transferred to the Republic of Ireland from the United Kingdom only if a majority of the population was in favour of such a move. The joint declaration also pledged that the Governments would seek a peaceful and constitutional settlement and promised that all parties linked with paramilitaries could take part in talks as long as they abandoned violence. A subsequent joint statement issued by Gerry Adams and John Hume was at the time considered sufficient by the IRA leadership for it to announce a ceasefire on 31 August 1994. This, in turn, was followed on 13 October by the announcement of a ceasefire by the loyalist leadership.

Albert Reynolds was born in Roosky, a stone's throw from Longford town and an area very familiar to Deputy Martin Kenny. When he was appointed in 1979 as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, which now seems like a very old-fashioned title, his good friend from Longford town, Mickey Doherty, was dispatched from Longford to tell Albert's elderly mother that he had been appointed as a Minister, because the family did not have a phone in the house. Nevertheless, within a few years, Ireland boasted one of the best telephone networks in Europe, thanks to Albert Reynolds's determination and vision. We rightly celebrate the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, but the hope is that come December, we will in turn celebrate the Downing Street Declaration and the monumental achievements of one Albert Reynolds.

See this speech in context