Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 6 July 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement

The Next Generation of Political Representatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion

Ms Sorcha Eastwood:

To finish that point on the issue of a wall in the mind, we have physical walls and barriers on the streets here. We have physical, self-imposed, almost social barriers in some ways in how we live our lives here. For me, that is the fundamental issue that we need to have a discussion about. We have more shared housing now in Northern Ireland than we have ever had. We have more people wanting to live together. However, what we have seen, unfortunately recently, is intimidation, whether that be through people writing messages on walls or erecting symbols that are unwanted. That is the conversation that we need to have in a way we did not fully realise when the Good Friday Agreement was signed. People then got into the day and daily.

Ms Groogan mentioned carve-up politics. I might throw in words as well. "Clientelism" sometimes appeared. We had issues through that over the years. Something I would like to see is people having those very open and honest conversations about what is a united community. Why do we still have those barriers? Let us have those conversations. That would be the most prescient think that we can do.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.