Mr. Paul Maskey, MP:

I thank the delegation for coming before the committee and its presentation. We really appreciate the time and effort made.

Ms McKeown mentioned west Belfast and I must concur. What we see happening is scandalous in this day and age. The constituency I represent has the highest unemployment rate throughout the North. A bill of rights, if implemented and agreed to, would help in dealing with all of the issues we face in areas of high deprivation, including social needs. We are very much in support of a bill of rights being agreed to. I agree with Mr. O'Connor that if it is not agreed to, the two co-signatories of the Agreement must come forward and ensure a bill of rights is implemented in the North. It is very important to sustain the peace process and enhance the areas which have suffered the most with regard to generational issues such as west Belfast where for generations there has been severe underinvestment owing to direct British rule, with Ministers flying in once a month and paying lip-service to the views expressed. They have nothing but contempt for this and other areas in the North, including rural areas which also suffer from massive deprivation. The implementation of a bill of rights is core to moving forward and we must all work harder to ensure it will happen.

I hope the committee can push the two Governments in the right direction and the political parties which are opposed to a bill of rights. We need to begin to challenge the parties opposed to it and ask why they are opposed to it. We will hear some strange answers because I cannot understand for the life of me how anybody could disagree with a bill of rights because it would not cost anybody anything. It is the same as equality - equality costs us nothing. I hope the committee will push in the right direction and as hard as it possibly can. Do our guests think we should exert particular pressure on people in this regard? What is the ICTU doing to try to push it forward? I would like to have a conversation on this issue.