Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I am glad to have the opportunity to contribute on the important motion before the House. The Taoiseach and the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, outlined clearly in their contributions the full commitment the Government has given to the advancement of the peace process in recent years. Both cited the valuable contribution made by other political parties in the House and on the island.

Deputy Crawford outlined some of the difficulties faced over the many years of the Troubles on our doorstep, in our province of Ulster. As representatives of two southern Ulster Border counties, we see first-hand the gains that have come from an island relatively at peace. This is the first generation since 1918 to have the opportunity, in the May 1998 referendum, to vote on one question put to the electorate North and South in regard to the future political configuration on our island.

The overwhelming endorsement of the Good Friday Agreement by the electorate North and South gave those in politics on this island one mandate. We have heard one grouping on this island talk about a mandate. There is one mandate for those who want to practice politics on this island, namely, that emanating from the referenda North and South in 1998 when politicians were given the mandate to implement in full the Good Friday Agreement.

Unfortunately, that mandate is not being honoured because a few groups are putting obstacles in the way of full implementation of the Agreement. Some wrongly quote the word "republicanism". If republicanism means anything, it is that the people are sovereign and that when the people give politicians a mandate, it is incumbent upon those politicians to implement that mandate. Sadly, one group which classes itself as republican is doing the opposite of what is meant by republicanism.

Representing two of the southern Ulster Border counties, I see first-hand the benefits to people in going about their daily business in counties Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Louth, Sligo and Leitrim. When I travelled to clinics throughout my constituency in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I often passed through County Fermanagh and was held up at checkpoints. Thankfully, substantial progress has been made in demilitarisation on this island, where our people, including farmers, shopkeepers and children going to school, can travel without hindrance and are not held up at checkpoints for hours, day in, day out.

This progress is evident when we note the level of employment on both sides of the Border. People now traverse the Border, but they did not have that opportunity in the late 1960s, 1970s or 1980s. Thankfully, they have had that opportunity since the 1990s. The economy on both sides of the Border is growing, perhaps not as much as we would like, but growing substantially nonetheless. By and large, the local economy in Ulster, north and south of the Border, generates jobs for its people in their own areas.

When Members meet people in Border constituencies, the one question asked is when will politicians ensure that full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement is achieved. The people want to be assured that the difficulties, maiming and senseless murders by paramilitaries from both traditions is behind us once and for all. We have all lived through a period when we lost friends and neighbours from both traditions. I hope this island will never return to that era. We want to ensure that the Good Friday Agreement is underpinned and that the dividends for all the people become a reality as soon as possible. It is not good enough that an agreement endorsed by the overwhelming majority of the electorate in the Thirty-two counties has not been implemented in full.

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