Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am very pleased to open this public hearing of the Seanad Public Consultation Committee on the topic of the constitutional future of the island of Ireland. I warmly welcome the Senators who are members of the committee. Senator McDowell has joined us as well. This is the first day of our public hearings. These public meetings are the second part of a process that began in July, whereby the public were invited to make written submissions to the committee. On behalf of the committee, I sincerely thank everybody who sent in a written submission.

This year marks the centenary of Seanad Éireann. While we are glancing back, we are looking forward. The public consultation will look at the constitutional future of the island of Ireland in the context of the ongoing public policy debate on the issue, the safeguarding of the peace process and the future we would all like to see for generations to come.

As part of the public consultation process, we invited submissions from individuals, interested groups and organisations from all over the island, from all communities and all traditions. The committee encouraged all those traditions to put forward their views, whatever they are, in order that we could hear about their vision for the future. The Seanad Public Consultation Committee acknowledges the important work of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. The Seanad public consultation process was as follows. We wanted to: listen to the views of young people throughout the island of Ireland, including the voices of the communities and traditions of Northern Ireland, on their vision for the future; examine the criteria for referendums and the lessons of referendums held here and in other jurisdictions; and consider the societal and economic opportunities and challenges that should be considered, such as all-island healthcare, all-island education, housing, climate change, biodiversity, culture and language, sport, reconciliation and the important question of the subvention in Northern Ireland. Following on from all of our hearings, we will issue a draft report, which will be prepared by the committee and published as soon as possible.

I welcome the members of the Public Consultation Committee. I will name them all. There is the Leas-Chathaoirleach, Senator Joe O'Reilly, and Senators Frances Black, Victor Boyhan, Pat Casey, Emer Currie, Vincent P. Martin, Mark Wall and Niall Ó Donnghaile. I thank Senator Gerry Horkan, who is substituting today for Senator Casey. Most importantly, I welcome our witnesses. We are here to listen to you, the young people, who are representing the voices of many throughout this island about the future you would like to see for this island for the next 100 years and beyond. I welcome Caitlin Thompson, Eoin Forkan and Eoghan Flood from Foróige and Frederique Offereins and Conor McAuley. Thank you, Conor, for being here. I welcome Roisin Myers from the National Youth Council of Ireland. We have Eoin Millar, Holly Clyde and Kate Lynch from the Northern Ireland Youth Forum and Niamh Mallaghan, who will speak on the theme of youth advocacy. I welcome you all sincerely and thank you for all the effort you have put into drawing up your thoughts on how we should move forward.

I will now read out the legal briefing. This is standard practice at all formal sittings of all committees. I remind you all that it is a long-standing parliamentary practice that you should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of any person or entity. Therefore, if your statements are potentially defamatory in respect of any identifying of a person or entity, you will be directed to discontinue your remarks. It is imperative that you comply with such direction immediately. For our witnesses attending remotely, there are limitations on parliamentary privilege. I remind Members that they are allowed to participate in this meeting only if they are on location in Leinster House, which they are.

I first call on Caitlin Thompson from Foróige. Caitlin, you are most welcome.