Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on his appointment. I am delighted and proud to be a member of this committee. I think we have become increasingly proud of the Good Friday Agreement over time. The celebration of 25 years the year before last helped us all to appreciate the significance of the Good Friday Agreement. This committee stands out to me as one that is crucial within the Houses of the Oireachtas. I echo comments made by Deputy McGreehan and my parliamentary party colleague, Senator Stephenson, on the importance of plurality of voices, both in the unionist community and the representation we can invite. I appreciation the standing invitation is there but it is also for us as a committee to examine how we can make sure that invitation is as readily available as possible and people are made to feel welcome here. As Senator Stephenson mentioned, it is across the Thirty-two Counties, our entire country. I went to college in the North in the nineties. I think of myself as quite unusual, since much of the population sadly do not have regular visits to the North. They do not have networks in the North unless perhaps it is from family. It is a shame that we have not really brought everybody along with us and we need to be aware of it.

Although I was not a member of this committee, I appeared before the last committee three times as a witness in my previous role as chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, so I would suggest that as well as health rights, equality is one of the next pieces of work that the commission could look at. I know it was on the list of potential next reports. There have been rights and equality issues post Brexit. I would say there has perhaps been too much focus on trade and commerce in the post-Brexit work between both jurisdictions. We have to examine that lived experience of rights and equality and make sure that we hear from the lived experience of those people who are most impacted, particularly people in the Border counties.

Regarding the workings of the committee, I go back to my point about the unique nature of having colleagues here from Northern Ireland and making sure that we are using all of the technology that we can to make it as easy as possible for us as a group to feel that collegiality and to make sure that the practical document accessibility works for everybody, no matter who they are.