Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Teachta Devlin freisin mar gheall ar a ról mar Chathaoirleach. Is post iontach é. Tá go leor deiseanna ann chun a lán tionchar a imirt ar an Rialtas mar gheall ar cad atá ag titim amach ó Thuaidh agus ó Theas. Le cúnamh Dé, beidh am gníomhach aige mar Chathaoirleach ar aon nós. This is a very important committee, and it has a great opportunity, not just on an all-Ireland basis, but also here internally.

One of the big outstanding issues is obviously still legacy. There is an interstate case being taken by this Government against the British Government. I would like us, at an early stage, to bring representatives of the Government before the committee to find out where that case is at. This heartbreaking issue is causing severe damage in the North of Ireland at the moment.

This is obviously the only committee that has representatives from the North of Ireland on it. The only thing stopping Northern representatives attending every committee is a decision by the Dáil to allow that to happen. Leinster House and the Seanad could agree that Northern MPs could attend every committee here if they want to. We should be looking at how we get Northern voices into all aspects of the running of Leinster House, so that rather than speaking to each other with our backs to each other North and South, we actually understand what is happening across the island of Ireland.

I welcome the motion by Sinn Féin and the cross-party motion on presidential voting rights. There is now a Bill in front of the Dáil that I would love every party to sign. The issue of presidential voting rights is something that should be fully cross party in its development through Leinster House.

The other issue is that to a certain extent there is a cap on developments in certain issues because of the Good Friday Agreement. For example, InterTradeIreland has a cap on the number of staff and the investment that goes into it. The Good Friday Agreement, to a certain extent, is a living document, or at least it should be a living document. There are aspects for change that will be necessary as politics hopefully develops in the North. We should also be looking at what steps could be developed to make sure that Stormont functions better for people. I agree fully with the focus on health, and I suggest that the all-island economy is another aspect we need to focus on. Planning together, funding together and delivering services together will make those services better and cheaper to run.