Rev. Dr. Roy Patton:

Like the Very Rev. Dr. Hamilton and Rev. Gribben, I thank the committee for the invitation to appear before it. We appreciate the opportunity to be here.

Last year I was Moderator of the church. I have ministered in north Belfast and Newry and now minister in north Down, but unlike my colleagues, I am a Southerner as I am originally from Monaghan. My family roots are still there; my mother, brothers and so on still live in Monaghan. I have a real concern, from the Southern perspective, that people here continue to engage with the issues of the North. It is very important that they do so. I am a little concerned that there is a sense that apart from a few issues, everything is okay, as people are not killing each other. I am concerned that, at whatever level, the eye will be taken off the ball and in regard to reconciliation and developing real peace in our communities, that people will fail to see that this still needs to be a priority in so far as the Government in the South is concerned. I am concerned about this but appreciate that what the committee is doing is a source of real encouragement to the process in terms of the need to continue to engage.

From my personal background, in so far as implementation of the Good Friday Agreement is concerned and how it impacts on legislation and in so far as minorities in the Republic are concerned, there should be a real concern to cherish all the children of the nation, if I can put it that way. Sometimes in the past - perhaps, it is still the case today - Presbyterians and Protestants felt it was best to keep quiet and not to cause particular problems. One needs to be very aware to make sure that is not happening and that people really feel they are part of the State. In counties Donegal and Monaghan and other places there has been concern about how educational funding will be rolled out.

We fully appreciate the need for rationalisation in the delivery of school and similar processes. I do not think there is any intentional discrimination, but sometimes in the outworking, it seems that at the point of delivery people do not believe they are receiving the support they need. I want all of us to reflect on how minorities can always be appreciated and valued equally within the State. This has an impact on how reconciliation takes place in Northern Ireland. As we know, things can roll over and, perhaps, be misused or misunderstood.

I appreciate the opportunity to be here and I am happy to continue the discussion.