Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

The Green Party, Comhaontas Glas, welcomes wholeheartedly the fact that Rev. Harold Good, Fr. Alec Reid and General de Chastelain have reported positively on the decommissioning of arms by the Provisional IRA. It is a significant milestone. The question many of us need to focus on is where we go from here. Recently I heard a vox pop on the radio ask "what now" in many Nationalist areas. Many offered an uncertain view that they did not know who would protect them now. One lady said she might have no alternative but to go to the police. That points strongly to the next move Sinn Féin needs to take to be part of the policing board and part of the developments that will ensure the other obstacles to the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement are removed. These include loyalist decommissioning — the Patten reforms need to be fully developed in order that loyalist decommissioning can be one way or the other removed from the agenda — and the security of Nationalist areas. Fundamental policing reform is essential and needs to be prioritised. Ultimately the Unionists must come to government. I ask that the Unionists understand that will ensure police resources are freed up and extra policing resources can be made available for fair and comprehensive policing. That needs to be part of the Good Friday Agreement implementation.

The Good Friday Agreement needs to be implemented in this jurisdiction also. It is not simply a matter of talking about what is happening in the North. We heard earlier on the Order of Business about the register of sex offenders. That is a matter in which we in the South are lagging behind. I heard also of the lack of progress in other areas of cross-Border co-operation. That lack of progress means we are not implementing further improvements on, for example, an islandwide environmental protection agency. These matters are being held up because of lack of progress. Every community and national organisation has a role in implementing the Good Friday Agreement. In our party we have removed the obstacles in order that the Green Party in Northern Ireland can consider its relationship with the South in terms of a possible all-island organisation. Likewise, in sports organisations such as the FAI, the lack of success has affected us recently. When one looks at somebody such as Ken Magennnis from a Unionist background supporting the Irish Rugby team there is no reason Unionists cannot respect their identity, be loyal to their objectives and still support an all-Ireland soccer team. That would indicate a potential on the island which can accommodate diversity and different political aims but at the same time realise the potential of working and co-operating together as an island.

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