Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement is special in that as well as having Members of the Dáil and Seanad, all 18 MPs elected in the North to Westminster are entitled to come to speak at our meetings. The majority of these, a total of 12, do so regularly. We have meetings every week. We welcome very much the improvement in the relationship between the United Kingdom Government and our Government. Our role as a committee is to encourage and ensure there is increasing contact between politicians and officials on all sides. What further action can Government take? I welcome, in particular, the support we have from Europe and the United States to improve relationships, North and South, and to ensure the assembly gets up and running as soon as possible.

We were in Westminster last week. There are deep concerns in the committee about the impact of the legacy and reconciliation Bill. It is unacceptable to all members of the committee, all political parties in Northern Ireland, and all of the victims' bodies and groups and the individuals we have met. It is an affront to those families who have suffered for many years, some for decades, without answers and getting the truth. What status does the introduction of the UK electronic travel authorisation have? What is most important is that we have made significant progress and we want to do more. If we do not ensure we make every possible representation on changing or withdrawing the legacy and reconciliation Bill, I believe we will let down everybody on the island.