Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 17 October 2024
Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement
Peace Summit Partnership: Discussion
10:00 am
Mr. Tim Attwood:
-----and so has Mr. Holloway. Ms Malone is a wee bit younger. There are so many people who, in a very quiet and unassuming way with no publicity, have kept the peace in our streets and in our community and society. This happens today. Peace activists, community workers and youth workers, at times when other people do not go into those situations, work with young people. They take them away from potential riot situations and they encourage them. It is important to recognise this, which is about investment. We have to recognise those who serve us really well. They are not all well known. They are not political figures or well-known civic society people. They are very ordinary. They would probably be embarrassed and some would decline recognition saying it was not for them. They have invested their time and energy to give us the peace we have today. It is the collective duty of the governments and the Northern Ireland Executive to invest in the future so we do not go back to those days. We will come back to the committee with precise things. The programme for government will have specific actions for the Executive but there is also an all-Ireland context to this. We really appreciate the opportunity to be here and the questions from all the members.
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