Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)
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I welcome the delegation. I have learned a great deal from the presentation. Mr. Colgan spoke about new approaches and widening the body's remit. I would like to put on record some of my concerns in regard to the long-term goals of what the body is trying to achieve and what we are trying to achieve. One of the biggest threats to the stability of peace in Northern Ireland, the Border regions and wider afield is from dissident republicans. A profound issue on the north side of Dublin, which is in my constituency, is the growing simplistic definition or analysis of what the Northern situation is about and dissident republican organisations tapping into disconnected young people in this regard. There are issues of educational disadvantage tied into this, including economic disconnection and so on. It is very easy for dissident republicans in the South to present a simplistic and one-sided view of the political reality in the North. This pushes mainstream republicans and Nationalists further to the green side, which makes mainstream unionism and mainstream loyalism even more nervous.

Other issues affecting my constituency include local authority staff, whose responsibility it is to remove political graffiti, being threatened, an increase in paramilitary style events and an increasing mobilisation of dissident republicans in Dublin and, I assume, elsewhere. The first ceasefire took place in 1994. For young men now in their 20s and 30s, this is a distant memory, if they recall it at all. When meeting community groups from Northern Ireland, they expressed the concern that 17 and 18 year olds who have no memory of what the Troubles were like but who have heard stories about it from particular people may feel they have missed out and may be trying to relive some of the glories of the past.

Talking to someone who has been through the Troubles and who may have emerged enlightened from a period of detention or what he or she has done or experienced is easier than talking to a young person who has not been through such an experience. I wonder if there is potential for greater connectivity with different parts of the country, not only the Border regions, with a view to addressing the growing threat posed by people who take a simplified view of the politics of the North. Disaffected young people may be easily politicised and radicalised by this particularly dangerous view, which is growing in popularity. I am especially concerned about this issue given what took place in the North in the past. This meeting is a perfect forum for acknowledging the issue. What are the witnesses' views on this matter? Has it been discussed by the Special EU Programmes Body? Could the SEUPB offer practical solutions or engage in outreach on this issue?

As the representative of a constituency in central Dublin, I hope to get a perspective on what the joint committee can achieve. I do not pretend that particular emotions have been consigned to the past or that everyone has moved on and we all take an enlightened view. A whole new generation, not only in Northern Ireland or the Border counties but also in my constituency, is making life very difficult for local communities and could make life difficult for this island, North and South, if we do not engage proactively to address the issue.